Developments re: New Zealand's EB-5 Equivalent

Kit Johnson

09 Sep 2026 — 1 min read

New Zealand has an investor visa akin to the United States' EB-5 visa. It's called the Active Investor Plus Visa. While the visa was launched in 2022, it builds upon earlier NZ investor visa programs. It was then re-launched in April 2025, with smaller investment requirements--NZ$5 million (US $2.93 million) down from NZ$15 million ($8.7 million US). In addition, the program set out a shorter investment timeline (3 years down from 4) and widened eligible investments.

As of December 2026, the Daily Maverick reports, one of the newest eligible investments is long-term rental housing. AIPV folks cannot directly invest in such housing but can join managed programs designed to build it.

The move reminds me of a piece I wrote a good while ago: Buying the American Dream: Using Immigration Law to Bolster the Housing Market, 81 Tennessee Law Review 829 (2014).

Report: Architecture of Cruelty: Third Country Removal Agreements and the Second Trump Administration

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Report: Architecture of Cruelty: Third Country Removal Agreements and the Second Trump Administration

FWD.us: Statement on the Delays in DACA Removal Processing

From the Bookshelves: Denial, Deterrence, and Disenchantment: Why Many Never Immigrate by Jacob Richard Thomas

The BIA Narrows Asylum Relief