Kim Dotcom - New Zealand's Decision To Grant Residency

New Zealand's Decision To Grant Residency

While living in Hong Kong, Dotcom visited New Zealand for 10 days in December 2008 and again for two months from August 2009. On his 2009 visit he bought 12 cars valued at $3.2 million and leased a helicopter on a stand-by basis. He applied for residency which was granted in November 2010. The decision was made by the New Zealand Immigration Department despite his foreign convictions and despite being persona non grata in Thailand, after officials used a special direction to waive "good character" requirements. Warwick Tuck, head of New Zealand Immigration, said Dotcom was granted residency under the investor plus category, which allows people to gain residency if they invest $10 million in New Zealand. It was anticipated that Dotcom would contribute to New Zealand through investment, consumption and philanthropic activities – he had already given $50,000 to the mayoral fund following the Christchurch earthquake, another $50,000 to a rugby player who was left in a wheelchair after an on-field injury and forked out $600,000 for a fireworks display in Auckland harbour. Mr Tuck says Dotcom disclosed his previous convictions and these had been considered; they occurred more than 16 years earlier and did not involve harming anyone. Dotcom also told Immigration NZ his convictions had been "erased" from his record under Germany's clean slate legislation.

Despite granting him residency, Immigration was concerned their decision would attract criticism that they had allowed Dotcom to buy his way into the country and officials tried to keep it a secret. His application was red-flagged by officials: "We are requesting that this application be kept as confidential as possible to avoid further media speculation or attention." Dotcom's residency status subsequently became the subject of intense media speculation when it came to light that the mayor of Auckland, John Banks, became involved and New Zealand's intelligence services had spied on him – which they were not allowed to do because he had residency.

Two months after he was granted residency, Dotcom was convicted in Hong Kong on several counts of failing to disclose his shareholding levels and fined 8000 Hong Kong dollars. New Zealand immigration authorities decided the convictions were too minor to consider deporting him.