Our immigration law experts are experiencing a surge of interest from Americans looking to relocate to New Zealand following the US election result in November 2024.
It’s not the first time this pattern has emerged due to a change in political ideology, with two key drivers being political uncertainty in the US, and New Zealand’s reputation as a great place to live.
“There’s a significant increase in people exploring the option of emigrating to New Zealand – or at least securing a resident visa option – after every American election cycle,” says Partner Mark Williams.
“In particular, we saw a huge surge from America following the US election in 2016 ‒ and we’re experiencing it again this year. New Zealand is rightly known as having a stable economy, low levels of corruption and good career opportunities for people looking to emigrate here.”
Partner Rachael Mason echoes Mark’s sentiments, adding there are numerous lifestyle factors that New Zealand is known for which is also driving the interest from America.
“We have an incredible quality of life in New Zealand – with endless outdoor activities on our doorstep and friendly, welcoming communities. New Zealand is also known for being a safe place for potential migrants to raise their families.”
Rachael says global events often trigger enquiries from those wishing to live in New Zealand.
“Around the same time of the US election in 2016, there was instablity in Europe and that also sparked enquiries from a lot of Europeans. New Zealand was also viewed viewed favourably for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic – this was definitely another factor for driving international enquiries.”
Mark adds that, at this time, there are similar international push factors generating new interest in New Zealand.
“We have significant hostilities in Europe that seem to be escalating, and the situation in the Middle East is also worrying.
“In addition, many countries globally have retracted, withdrawn or closed some of their visa categories, including Australia that competes for the same investors and skilled migrants New Zealand looks to attract.”
Impact on AIP investors
While enquiries are up, Mark says this is not necessarily translating into applications – particularly from high-net worth individuals.
“Wealthy individuals who want to move to New Zealand using the Active Investor Plus (AIP) pathway are often put off by our restrictive immigration settings and rules.”
To be eligible for a resident visa via the AIP pathway, applicants must invest between NZ$5 – NZ$15 million over four years, however the scheme currently requires applicants to invest in higher-risk asset classes with restricted liquidity from the outset.
“Applicants are often put off once they realise they’ll need to invest in riskier asset classes before they are familiar and comfortable with the investment and business landscape here. These classes include New Zealand start-up companies, New Zealand-managed venture capital and private equity funds.”
Settings tipped to change in 2025
On the New Zealand side, Mark advises that for people looking to invest and secure residency, changes to the settings are likely in 2025.
“It is typical to expect in a new election term from a centre-right-political-leaning coalition – plus a known view that this government is interested in significantly increasing foreign direct investment into the country – that changes to facilitate greater investment into the country will be made.
“One of the levers that can be pulled to faciliate that is an investment visa model that encourages greater levels of investment that is void of conditions that are discouraging many investors to currently commit to the existing visa settings.”
He anticipates a relaxation of the current restrictive settings, potentially including the introduction of investment classes that present lower investment risk options.
“This would result in higher levels of investment coming into the country and, with that – when those investors become familiar with New Zealand’s investment and business landscape over time – allow those investors to then diversify investment holdings into higher risk assets when they feel comfortable to do so.
“A sensible rebalance would therefore allow New Zealand to capture the higher demand for visas here and – at the same time – contribute significantly to an improvement in the New Zealand economy over time.”
- Our Immigration lawyers are experts in guiding people through the application process, so please reach out to them for more information or with questions about your particular situation.
