‘Trump effect’ drives $3.4 billion surge as wealthy migrants flock to NZ Active Investor Plus visa
Friday, 13 February 2026
New Zealand is capitalising on global instability — including the so-called “Trump effect” — with hundreds of wealthy Americans seeking residency by investing billions in the country.
Less than a year after the Active Investor Plus visa was revamped to make it more attractive, 573 applications worth nearly $3.4 billion have been approved or committed — about half from the United States.
Around $1.05b has already been invested into New Zealand businesses, with a further $2.34b expected to be deployed over the next six months.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said she was under no illusions about the timing behind the surge. “It’s a visa at the right time.”
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Speaking in Auckland on Friday, Stanford said growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty was driving investor interest, pointing first to New Zealand’s political stability.
“There's no doubt that the world is a far more unstable place than it was, and this is a very good time for New Zealand to be opening our doors to the world and saying we are an attractive country,” she said.
“We are safe, well connected, and we provide a lifestyle that you can't get anywhere else.”
Lance Wiggs, co-founder of the Punakaiki Fund, which connects overseas investors with local ventures, said interest often spiked after controversial announcements or moves by US President Donald Trump.
“Most of the people that are coming here are looking for a country, not just with a stable government, but with a government that cares and a government that is the reverse of Trumpist ideas.”
There has also been strong interest from Europe, particularly Germany, with Wiggs saying many investors now see New Zealand as a safe haven.
“With Covid, we demonstrated to the world that we are the ultimate safe haven in tough times.”
Wiggs said applicants were a mix of people planning to relocate permanently and others wanting to keep their options open. Many had backgrounds in venture capital or technology, while others were at the peak of their careers or nearing retirement.
The visa requires investors to commit at least $5 million over three years into higher-risk “growth” investments such as venture capital, private equity or managed funds, or $10m over five years in a broader mix of assets under a balanced category.
Stanford said the Government was not considering lowering those thresholds, but was reviewing whether settings around where the money was invested were ensuring it flowed into productive parts of the economy. About 80% of funds are currently going into growth investments.
However, law firm MinterEllisonRuddWatts has warned some investors are hesitant about becoming New Zealand tax residents, which could expose their global income to local tax — particularly if they establish a stronger presence here.
Stanford said ministers were aware of the concern and were considering whether any “simplification” was possible, though she acknowledged the rules were complex.
Recent changes also allow investor visa holders to buy or build one home worth at least $5m, a move aimed at encouraging deeper ties to New Zealand.
One company to benefit is Auckland ag-tech start-up Hectre, which has received about $12m in investment through Punakaiki and hosted Stanford’s press conference.
The company’s AI-powered technology grades fruit by size, colour and quality before it enters a packhouse.
Stanford said investments like these showed how the visa was helping create high-skilled, high-paid jobs, with funding flowing into sectors including technology, healthcare, infrastructure, horticulture and cloud-based services.
The minister changed the settings in April encourage stronger ties to New Zealand, investor visa holders are now also allowed to buy or build a single home worth $5m or more. She says there isn’t any data yet on how many have bought homes.
Stanford was critical of the visa’s predecessor and noted just 116 applications worth about $70 million were received over two-and-a-half years under the previous rules.