Ref: DOIA 20-183
9 March 2020
John
By email: [FYI request #12225 email]
Dear John,
Thank you for your Official Information Act request received on 12 February 2020 as
below:
1. How many applications have been make to the OIO for the consent for purhcasing
residential properties since Overseas Investment Amendment Act 2018 came in
force, by the applicants' nationalities, their resident status (e.g. whether they are
NZ resident) and locations of the properties?
2. How many of these applications have been granted or rejected, by the
applicants' nationalities, their resident status and locations of the properties?
As at the 16 February 2020 the Overseas Investment Office has received 359 “One
Home To Live In” applications since amendments to the Overseas Investment Act came
into force on 22 October 2018.
To purchase One Home to Live In, it is a minimum requirement to have either a valid
New Zealand residence class visa or to be an Australian or Singaporean permanent
resident. To date, we have granted one consent to an Australian national through our
One Home To Live In pathway. As at 15 February 2020, we have received 359
applications for One Home To Live In.
Appendix 1 outlines applicant’s nationalities who have applied for One Home to Live In
since 22 October 2018.
Appendix 1:
Country
Total applicants Country
Total
applicants
Australia
2
Netherlands
7
Austria
3
New Zealand
2
Canada
3
Pakistan
5
China
92
Philippines
2
Denmark
1
Poland
5
Fiji
3
South Africa
36
France
3
South Korea
6
Germany
5
Sri Lanka
2
Hong Kong (SAR)
11
Sweden
1
Hungary
1
Switzerland
2
India
12
Taiwan
7
Indonesia
2
Thailand
1
Israel
2
Tonga
2
Japan
2
United Kingdom
117
Jordan
1
United States of America
28
Malaysia
9
Vietnam
1
Appendix 2 1
below
outlines for you the regions where we have granted a consent
under the “One Home To Live In” and where we have received a notification of purchase
from a consent holder.
Consent holders can get preapproval to purchase from the Overseas Investment Office,
however, consent holders must the Office of the address and region in which they have
purchased within six weeks after settlement.
Appendix 2:
Region
No of applications
Auckland
77
Bay of Plenty
7
Canterbury
25
Gisborne
3
Hawke's Bay
5
Manawatu-Wanganui
6
Marlborough
3
Nelson
2
Northland
1
Otago
8
Southland
3
Taranaki
1
Tasman
3
Waikato
11
Wellington
20
West Coast
0
You have asked “How many of these applications have been granted or rejected, by the
applicants' nationalities, their resident status and locations of the properties?” Of the 359
applications received since 22 October 2018, the Overseas Investment Office has
1 Appendix 2 will not accurately mirror the total consents granted to the region in which a consent holder
purchases as there will be instances where consent holders are yet to notify the office of their purchase, as well
as instances where consent holders are yet to purchase a property. As well the fact some consent holders may
have become “Ordinarily resident” in New Zealand since their consent was granted hence will not need to
notify the office of their purchase.
approved 331 applications. 2 28 out of the 359 applications have been declined. See
Appendix 3 for a table that highlighting Approved/Not Approved applications by
country.
Appendix 3:
Country
Approved
Not Approved
Australia
1
1
Austria
3
Canada
3
China
89
3
Denmark
1
Fiji
3
France
2
1
Germany
5
Hong Kong (SAR)
11
Hungary
1
India
8
4
Indonesia
2
Israel
2
Japan
1
1
Jordan
1
Malaysia
9
Namibia
1
Netherlands
7
New Zealand
2
Pakistan
5
Philippines
2
Poland
5
South Africa
34
2
South Korea
5
1
Sri Lanka
2
Sweden
1
Switzerland
2
Taiwan
7
Thailand
1
Tonga
1
1
United Kingdom
110
7
United States of America
25
3
Vietnam
1
Yours sincerely
Grant Barrott
Manager Applications (Residential)
2 Not approved includes applicants who were eligible to purchase without consent through to applicants who
don’t meet the eligibly criteria to apply in the first instance i.e non residence class visa holders.
