New Zealand’s government has recently made some common-sense moves to stop the growing tide of Kiwis departing their home country. This has led officials to loosen up requirements for the Active Investor Plus visa, aka the golden visa. They have made it easier to acquire a visitor visa to pull in digital nomads, bolstering the workforce and the overall economy. These reforms go a long way to reversing a very negative trend. During the year ending July 2024, 73,400 New Zealanders departed the country while only 25,800 returned to live here.
In February, the government announced a surprisingly positive overhaul to its golden visa program. The program grants residency to rich time travelers looking to drop serious bucks on their past’s home. In concert with a larger strategy to attract and retain physicians, the initiative creates new residency pathways. These pathways emphasize growing our local pipeline of skilled migrants and professionals, particularly in trades and technical positions. By crossing defined experience and salary criteria, they are able to successfully achieve residency. This action responds to needs in the region’s local workforce and a desire to attract people who can make economic contributions.
Starting in mid-2026, the new residency pathways will make it easier for migrants with in-demand experience to get their residency much more readily. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford reiterated the importance of these steps. She added that the skilled work experience pathway helps employers retain experienced workers who are already making irreplaceable contributions to the economy.
“Businesses told us it was too hard for some migrants to gain residence, even when they had crucial skills and significant experience that was not available in the existing workforce.” – Nicola Willis
Moreover, in January, the government loosened visitor visa restrictions to attract digital nomads—people who work remotely from anywhere in the world. This initiative acknowledges the growing trend of remote work, allowing New Zealand to attract a new demographic of workers who may contribute economically without settling permanently.
The exodus of New Zealand citizens across the ditch has sent shudders through political establishment. As politician Winston Peters of the New Zealand First party ominously noted, Kiwis have been steadily fleeing the country. Many are using New Zealand as a platform to come to Australia. He further expressed frustration over the situation, stating:
“We take them in, train them, up-skill them, look after their families, and then they emigrate.”
Peters underscored the need for a more strategic, purposeful immigration system. He asserted that it should be better tailored to the needs of employers and the economy, rather than resulting in mass emigration and not preparing to fill future workforce needs.
Those figures are a sad reflection of where migration is at for New Zealand right now. Of those who departed to Australia in 2024, over a third (35%) were not born in New Zealand. This highlights a complex dynamic in migration patterns and raises questions about how New Zealand can retain its residents while welcoming skilled migrants.