As of the end of October 2017, the annual number of immigrants to New Zealand calculated by the New Zealand Statistics Department increased from 70,300 in the same period last year to 70,700. Among them, China contributed the most immigrants and the most permanent residents, continuing to be the largest source country for immigration to New Zealand! Meanwhile, since the implementation of the new investment immigration policy in New Zealand nearly six months ago, the number of applications for Category 2 investment immigration has remained in single digits, but has recently finally exceeded double digits.
1. China is the largest source country for immigration to New Zealand.
In 2017, 72,100 non-New Zealand citizens arrived, while 1,400 New Zealand citizens left. New Zealand has witnessed record growth in immigration in recent years, and immigration issues have become a hot topic in the elections. As of October, the number of short-term visitors, including tourists, family visits, and business trips, exceeded 3.7 million, an increase of 8% compared to last year, setting a new record. The number of tourists to New Zealand increased by 8.6%, reaching 1.9 million. The number of work visas issued increased by 13%, reaching 46,000; the number of student visas decreased by 4%, reaching 24,000. The number of returning New Zealanders and Australian citizens was 38,000, an increase of 3.4%.
China continues to be the largest source country for immigration to New Zealand, with 9,600 Chinese immigrants landing in New Zealand, a decrease of 6.5% compared to the same period last year. In addition, the New Zealand Immigration Department approved a total of 15,900 permanent residency applications in the past year, a decrease of 2.4%. However, China remains the country with the most approved permanent residency applications in New Zealand, although the number has decreased by 4.4% to 3,200 compared to the same period last year. India ranks second with 6,900 immigrants, but the number of Indian immigrants has decreased by 27% compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a significant reduction in Indian student visas. The United Kingdom and South Africa are the countries with the largest increase in immigration to New Zealand. The net immigration from the United Kingdom was 6,600, an increase of 26%; from South Africa, it was 5,000, an increase of 31%.
2. Decrease in Category 2 Investment Immigration Applications in New Zealand.
In December 2016, the New Zealand Immigration Department announced the adjustment plan for Category 2 investment immigration. On June 1 of this year, the new threshold for Category 2 investment immigration came into effect. The most notable highlight of the adjustment plan is that the minimum investment amount has doubled from the original NZD 1.5 million to NZD 3 million, while the requirement for NZD 1 million in settlement funds has been removed. Although experts previously believed that the threshold for New Zealand investment immigration (www.liveinau.com/newzealand.aspx) had not changed significantly, as most Category 2 investment immigrants previously required an investment amount exceeding NZD 2 million, plus NZD 1 million in settlement funds, the total amount actually exceeded NZD 3 million. However, in the first selection after the new policy was implemented, the Immigration Department did not receive a single application for Category 2 investment immigration!
In the last selection before the new standards for New Zealand investment immigration were implemented, the New Zealand Immigration Department selected 11 applications with scores between 70 and 79; in the second-to-last selection, 24 applications were selected. Additionally, due to the decrease in numbers, the score gap among applicants has also widened significantly. After the new policy was implemented, the highest score among applicants reached 145, while the lowest was only 30. According to analysis by WorldWay Immigration, the changes in the Category 2 investment immigration policy reflect the alignment with the economic needs of New Zealand. After this adjustment in investment direction, the freedom of investors may be somewhat restricted.