Fewer Immigrants, Same Appeal? Grab your Chance To New Zealand
- Rachel Chen
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
On July 10, 2025, the New Zealand Statistics Bureau published the latest immigration data, showing a slowdown in New Zealand's net migration growth as of May 2025. The data reveals that in the past year, the number of immigrants entering New Zealand was 139,400, a decrease of 26% compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, the number of emigrants reached 124,500, an increase of 14%, marking a historical high. Among the incoming immigrants, 114,500 were non-New Zealand citizens, a 32% decline compared to the previous year. By nationality, India (21,700), China (16,600), and the Philippines (11,500) were the top three sources of immigrants. This trend suggests a significant decrease in New Zealand’s net migration, raising the question: Is New Zealand's global appeal as an immigration destination weakening?
However, in 2025, New Zealand retained its position as the "Most Popular Country" in the Telegraph global rankings, continuing its long-standing dominance. Since the award was established in 1998, only five countries have won this honor, with New Zealand consistently being at the top due to its beautiful natural environment, stable society, high quality of life, multicultural atmosphere, and abundant economic opportunities. Despite the decline in net migration in 2025, New Zealand's global appeal remains strong. The decrease in net migration is largely attributed to stricter immigration policies, which have made it more difficult for potential immigrants to meet visa or residency requirements. Clearly, New Zealand's attractiveness has not diminished, but the tightening of policies has temporarily affected the speed of immigration population inflow.
New Zealand, as a popular immigration destination, currently attracts people through three main channels: skilled group, entrepreneurial group, and investment group. However, the difficulty of application and eligibility criteria vary significantly for each pathway, so clients should carefully choose based on their individual conditions.
1. Skilled group: High Thresholds and Employment Dependency
Skilled migration is divided into the six-point system and the green list channels, with core requirements including:
● A bachelor's degree or higher
● IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent English proficiency
● A job offer from a certified New Zealand employer
● A salary that meets or exceeds New Zealand's median income
After successfully obtaining approval, the applicant first receives a skilled work visa. After two years of stable employment, they can apply for a residence visa (RV), and once the residence requirements are met, they can transition to permanent residency (PR). However, this path has a high risk of uncertainty—if the applicant loses their job, renewing the work visa and transitioning to permanent status will be challenging. Thus, the applicant’s job stability and adaptability are crucial.
2. Entrepreneurial Group: Suitable for Business Owners, but with Many Restrictions
Entrepreneurial migration is suitable for applicants with business experience. Core requirements include:
● IELTS score of 4.5 or higher
● Submission of a business plan that complies with New Zealand’s policies
● A well-operated business that meets the requirements for transitioning to a residence visa
This path not only has restrictions on business type but also requires proof of sustainable business operation. Therefore, applicants must demonstrate strong business capability and market adaptability.
3. Investment Group: A Fast Track for High-Net-Worth Individuals
Starting on April 1, 2025, New Zealand's new investment immigration policy (AIP) was officially implemented. The new policy removed language and age restrictions, significantly relaxed residency requirements, and provided a clearer path to permanent residency:
Growth Investment (NZD 5 million):
Applicants can apply for permanent residency after 3 years with a minimum of 21 days of residency.
Balanced Investment (NZD 10 million):
Applicants can apply for permanent residency after 5 years with a minimum of 105 days of residency.
Compared to skilled and entrepreneurial migration, investment immigration has a faster approval process and greater policy stability, making it especially suitable for clients with substantial funds who are not restricted by language, employment, or other factors.
Since the implementation of the new policy on April 1, 2025, New Zealand has seen significant results. According to immigration statistics, the number of applications surged in just three months, with a total of 115 cases approved so far. Notably, the approval efficiency has greatly improved, with an average processing time of only 14 working days from application submission to receiving principal approval.
As a leading institution in the field of New Zealand investment immigration, the New Zealand Program team of Globevisa, with its extensive industry experience and professional document preparation capabilities, provides VIP services, from material preparation, application submission and approval. On the first day of new policy opens for application submissions (April 1), our team had successfully submitted our first application. The client received principal approval letter in just 12 working days. The client, who owns multiple businesses overseas, proved the source of funds through offshore company equity transfers. Under the guidance of our team’s professional team and after a comprehensive evaluation, the client ultimately chose to invest NZD 10 million in government bonds to ensure the safety of funds while meeting immigration requirements.
Currently, it is a strategic oppotunity period to engage in New Zealand Active Investor Visa. Since the implementation of the 2025 new policy, immigration requirements has been significantly lowered. Not only removed language requirements, but there are also fewer restrictions on the applicant's background, and more diverse investment options are available. It is particularly worth noting that the approval efficiency of the immigration department is at a historical high, with processing times greatly shortened compared to previous years. However, with the increasing number of applications, there may be a backlog in the future, and the policy window may close quickly.
As a benchmark institution in the field of New Zealand investment immigration, Globevisa with its rich hands-on experience, has successfully assisted nearly a thousand families in realizing their New Zealand Immigration dreams. We provide professional services throughout the entire immigration process: one-on-one personalized consulting, efficient document preparation and comprehensive post-arrival settlement support. Choosing Globevisa means choosing professionalism and high success rate. Let’s work together to embark on a new life in New Zealand during this golden era of Active Investor Plus Visa!
Comentários