23 July 2025
Drew Broadley
[email address]
DOIA-REQ-0016851
Tēnā koe Drew,
Thank you for your email of 24 June 2025 to Hon Nicola Willis requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:
I would like to know the following figures around the visa for investors (aka “Gold Visa”):
* How many of these have been requested
* How many of these have been approved
* Of those approved, what regions of the country do the approved visa holders intend to
reside/invest in
* Of those approved, how many have successfully invested funds into a local organisation and
what type of organisations are they
* Of those investments how many of those have international shareholders/directors as direct
or indirect relations through the companies register
On 27 June your request was transferred to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) in accordance with section 14(b)(ii) of the Act.
On 3 July 2025, we sent you an email advising that we have interpreted “Gold Visa” to be the new
Active Investor Plus Visa which launched on 1 April 2025. Is this, correct? If yes, then we will provide
you the data from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2025.
We have interpreted applications requested as applications received by INZ.
Please clarify what do you mean by “local organisation”?
We sent you a reminder email on 8 July 2025. As we have not received a response, we have proceeded
to provide information based on our interpretation of your request. The details are as follows:
Data period: 1 April 2025 – 11 July 2025
Visa type: Gold Visa – Active Investor Plus Visa
Requested data:
• Number of applications submitted to Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
• Number of applications approved by INZ.
• Breakdown of the investment types.
Our Response
As at 11 July 2025, a total of 223 applications were submitted under the Active Investor Plus Visa
category between 1 April 2025 to 11 July 2025. Of those, a total of 122 applications have been
approved in principle. Of these 122 applications, 16 applications have been approved and the
applicants’ granted residence.
INZ does not collect information regarding the intended regions of residence for applicants under the
Active Investor Plus Visa category. Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(e)
of the Act, as the information does not exist.
Of the 16 applications that have been approved under the Active Investor Plus Visa category, 13 have
invested in managed funds, one in direct investments, and three in bonds. INZ is unable to disclose
the names of the specific investment funds, as this information is considered commercially sensitive.
Information regarding international shareholders or directors, whether direct or indirect relationships,
is not held by INZ. Therefore, this part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act, as the
information does not exist.
Active Investor Plus application data is published on the INZ website on the following page:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/investor-category/ You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800
802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact
[email address]. Nāku noa, nā
Jeannie Melville
Deputy Chief Operating Officer
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
