The New Zealand Controversy Revisited: How Larry Page's Son Sparked an International Border Debate

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Scrutiny escalated when Immigration New Zealand confirmed that Larry Page had applied for permanent residency through the Investor Plus scheme, often known as the Investor 1 category, back in November 2020. The visa program required applicants to invest 10 million New Zealand dollars over a three-year period into qualifying local assets.

Immigration officials could not process his application initially because Page was outside the country without an open pathway to complete verification steps. Following his emergency arrival in January 2021, the residency application proceeded through standard bureaucratic tracks. It received formal approval in February 2021.

Public anger focused on the timing. While health authorities maintained that the medical emergency was entirely separate from the residency application, critics pointed out that ordinary applicants had their paperwork frozen for months. Page’s residency placed him among a growing circle of Silicon Valley figures, including Peter Thiel, who turned to New Zealand as a primary southern-hemisphere sanctuary.