New Zealand’s golden visa is back, and this time, it’s turning heads across Hong Kong and mainland China.
Wealthy investors are moving fast, and all signs point to a fresh wave of demand heating up the country’s luxury property market.
With fewer restrictions, faster approvals, and a lifestyle that sells itself, New Zealand has just become one of the most desirable playgrounds for Asia’s high-net-worth elite
After undergoing significant reform in April 2025, the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa has seen a strong response.
In less than three months, the programme received nearly 200 applications, more than the total number submitted during the previous two and a half years under the old system.
The AIP visa offers two investment pathways: a high-growth option requiring a minimum NZ$5 million (US$3 million) investment over three years, and a balanced pathway requiring around NZ$6 to NZ$10 million over five years.
Unlike the previous scheme, this version comes with fewer hurdles: there are no English-language requirements, and physical presence in the country is minimal, just 21 to 105 days over the investment period depending on the pathway.
Although direct property purchases do not count toward the investment threshold, successful applicants are permitted to purchase homes after obtaining their visa.
This distinction matters, especially as foreign buyers begin to eye New Zealand’s limited luxury housing stock.
Kashif Ansari, co-founder and group CEO of Juwai IQI, believes the golden visa will make a tangible impact on the property sector.
Almost any number of new high-net-worth individuals buying homes in New Zealand will have a significant impact on the country’s relatively small land and luxury home markets,”
Kashif Ansari, co-founder and group CEO of Juwai IQI
“They will be buying houses in premium suburbs and land for large estates,” he adds.
His comments underscore the broader ripple effect the visa programme could have – not just in financial services and business investment, but in high-end residential real estate, where supply remains constrained and pricing already competitive.
New Zealand’s government, still navigating its way out of a recession, is betting on wealthy migrants to fuel economic recovery.
Officials have not only simplified the visa’s application and investment process but also created a dedicated agency to assist overseas fund managers.
The aim is clear: attract fresh capital, new jobs, global networks, and long-term residents who will contribute to innovation and income growth.
Compared to countries like Spain, Ireland, and Australia, which have either scrapped or tightened their own golden visa schemes, New Zealand’s approach stands out as investor friendly.
And that matters, especially to high-net-worth individuals from Hong Kong and China who are seeking political stability, wealth preservation, and residency pathways in safe, liveable countries.
Hong Kong applicants currently make up the third-largest group under the new programme, just behind the US and mainland China.
For many, the appeal goes beyond investment returns.
“These investors are not just thinking about business,” continued Ansari.
They’re also looking for a secure lifestyle, a long-term base for their families, and the opportunity to build multi-generational estates.”
Kashif Ansari, co-founder and group CEO of Juwai IQI
With interest in the scheme growing and property supply remaining tight, analysts expect New Zealand’s high-end housing market to heat up over the coming year.
While the overall volume of foreign buyers may remain relatively small, their purchasing power is likely to have an outsized effect in a market defined by limited land and premium demand.
Whether the golden visa will reshape the landscape of New Zealand’s luxury real estate remains to be seen, but for now, the early momentum suggests a rising tide of wealth is on its way.
Juwai IQI was featured in the South China Morning Post
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