Rich Americans Fleeing Trump Scramble for Overseas 'Golden Visa' Scheme

Americans are seizing upon on a program offering New Zealand residency to wealthy foreigners, with President Donald Trump often cited as a reason for the planned exodus.

A “golden visa” scheme that lowered the residency threshold for New Zealand in exchange for a promise of millions of dollars in investment came into effect in April 2025.

According to the latest government figures, 1,833 people have applied for the visa program, of which nearly 40 percent (617) are wealthy Americans. The number is more than double that of China (309), with Hong Kong in third place (249), according to The Guardian.

While there are many reasons why wealthy people might want to obtain residency in the picturesque country, Robbie Paul, chief executive of the Icehouse Ventures venture capital firm based in Auckland, said the chance to escape Trump’s administration is often cited. “I’ll put it this way: never in my time in New Zealand did I have an applicant reference Biden or Obama … and then, absolutely, a lot of references to people’s feelings towards MAGA and Trump,” Paul told The Guardian.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/rich-americans-fleeing-trump-scramble-123434611.html