U.S. Applications for New Zealand Citizenship Up 70%

The number of Americans who have applied for citizenship in New Zealand has risen by 70 percent in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election compared to the same period a year earlier, the Associated Press reports. Eighteen percent more Americans in New Zealand have also obtained work visas when compared with the previous year. Because New Zealand is more than 6,000 miles away from the mainland U.S., the number of Americans applying to be citizens is still relatively low. From Nov. 8, 2016, to Jan. 31, 2017, New Zealand has had 170 applications from Americans via grant. For that time span, 203 Americans applied for citizenship by descent. Trump made only a brief reference to the South Pacific country during his campaign, when prompted by a television reporter from New Zealand. “Say hello to Bob Charles. I love Bob Charles,” Trump replied. “Do you know who Bob Charles is? Your greatest golfer.” In 1963, Charles won the British Open.