Network sold counterfeit MM2H stickers for US$2,530 each to applicants seeking to use them to obtain entry into a major Western destination.
Wellington killed one cash loophole in December and is reviewing others; only 1.4% of AIP capital went directly into businesses.
Application growth moderates after the second-year surge; annual pace remains well below the government’s 4,000 target.
3,172 approvals and nearly US$1B in deposits and property; MM2H’s rebound from its disastrous 2021 overhaul is now quantifiable.
Citizenship Commission chairman says March 9 memo restricting Russian and Sudanese applicants was released in error; both nationalities remain eligible.
Memo adds Russia and Sudan to restricted nationalities list, but a source says it may reflect internal miscommunication rather than a ban.
One rule change in March 2025 triggered a 440% monthly surge. The numbers since make the first year look like a different program.
The most detailed figures the government has ever made public on the program’s outcomes arrive via a parliamentary inquiry.
Bhutan’s digital nomad visa has no income requirement. What it does require is unlike anything in the 50-country DNV market.
The April 2025 overhaul that slashed the minimum from NZ$15 million to NZ$5 million has produced a 48-fold increase in committed investment over the prior regime’s total.
MM2H approved 9,511 participants in 18 months after managing just 1,900 in the three years prior; 2,637 property transactions remain pending.
The threshold places the program within the mid‑range of an increasingly competitive digital nomad visa market; undercuts regional peers.
Americans lead investor visa surge as New Zealand’s growth category draws bulk of applications since April reforms.
Chinese buyers lead with 304 transactions, 41% of the total, followed by Taiwanese nationals at 91 and Singaporeans at 63.
Nauru’s citizenship overhaul: No dependent age limits, married dependents accepted, 30% discount running until June 30.
Beijing’s tax crackdown uses AI surveillance and self-reporting to chase $940B in offshore assets, but can’t verify amounts.
South Korea proposes freezing crypto accounts on suspicion alone. One critic calls it “political intent,” not real policy.
Central bank to monitor large non-resident transfers as speculative gold trading peaks at 60% of forex transactions and expat population swells.
American and Chinese investors lead the surge in New Zealand’s revamped program as “US applicants pursue multi-generational planning,” says Mischa Mannix-Opie.
New legislation allows Active Investor Plus visa holders to purchase homes worth NZ$5 million or more, effective early 2026.