As Open4Business reports, from 1 June 2026 New Zealand will expand the terms of the Active Investor Plus Visa programme, often referred to as New Zealand’s “golden visa”. It will now be possible to direct part of the mandatory investment to charitable donations, which should make the programme more flexible and attractive to wealthy foreigners.
According to Reuters, Growth category investors will be able to direct up to 20 per cent of the minimum investment, i.e. up to NZD 1 million of the mandatory NZD 5 million, to charity. The remainder must be invested in assets with higher growth potential. The changes come into effect on 1 June.
Officially, the Active Investor Plus Visa programme grants foreign investors the right to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. To participate, you must invest at least NZ$5 million in the Growth category or NZ$10 million in the Balanced category. According to Immigration New Zealand, 80 per cent of pre-approval applications are processed in about 3.5 months.
The new charitable option should widen the pool of potential programme participants. New Zealand authorities expect investors to not only invest in the economy, but also support social, educational, health, environmental and community projects.
The rules update comes after a surge in interest in the New Zealand investment visa. The Guardian reported that the number of applications has risen markedly since the programme was reformed in April 2025, with 308 applications representing around 1,000 people in a matter of months, whereas the changes attracted only 116 applications in two and a half years.
The leading applicants were investors from the US, China and Hong Kong. According to The Guardian, 129 applications from the US, 45 from China and 38 from Hong Kong were among the first 308 applications after the reform. Investors from Germany, Singapore and the UK also showed interest in the programme.
Later, interest from US investors continued to grow. According to Immigration New Zealand data cited by The Guardian, the new scheme has already attracted 573 applications representing 1,833 people. This confirms that the US has become the main source of demand for the New Zealand ‘golden visa’.
Specialised consultants estimate that demand also remains strong from China and Hong Kong. GoldenVisas.com wrote that investors from the US led the way among applicants for the Active Investor Plus Visa, followed by China and Hong Kong, while overall the programme attracted applicants from more than 30 countries.
For New Zealand, the programme is a tool for attracting long-term capital into the economy. Unlike some European ‘golden visas’, which were closely linked to the purchase of property, the New Zealand model emphasises active investment, business, funds, securities and now – partly – philanthropy.
For investors, New Zealand is attractive for its combination of political stability, quality of life, English-speaking environment, strong legal system and the possibility of long-term family residence. That said, the high entry threshold means that the programme is primarily aimed at wealthy applicants, entrepreneurs and globally mobile families.
The key takeaway is that New Zealand is not just relaxing the golden visa rules, but trying to make it more modern – with a focus on active investment and community benefits. Investors from the US, China and Hong Kong remain the demand leaders, and the addition of charitable donations could attract even more applicants who want to combine relocation, investment and social contribution.