Thiel spent 12 days total in New Zealand before gaining citizenship, DIA says

Peter Thiel spent a total of 12 days in New Zealand before being granted citizenship in 2011, according to new information released today by Internal Affairs after a nudge from the Ombudsman. 

The 12 days were spread across four trips.

The Immigration Act (2009) requires a person spend at least 1350 days in New Zealand over a five-year period, or 450 days over the 20 months leading up to an application, to be eligible to apply for citizenship (Mr Thiel was in New Zealand for nine days over tht period).

However, the legislation also allows the immigration minister to grant special exemptions – as then-minister Nathan Guy did in the case of Mr Thiel, citing his investment in Kiwi startups and his $1 million Christchurch quake donation. 

Guy defends decision
Speaking to media today, Mr Guy said he stood by his decision. 

"If you think back to 2011, we'd just come through the GFC, we were just starting to rebuild Christchurch, and this individual stepped up and said 'Yes I want to be part of the rebuild,'" he said.

Asked if it sent a message to the world that New Zealand passports were for sale, Mr Guy responded, "Not at all. Exceptional circumstances are there for a reason. This is an individual who is incredibly well-connected in Silicon Valley. He's a great ambassador and sales person for New Zealand and ultimately officials came to me with a recommendation he should be granted citizenship under exceptional circumstances and I agreed with that."

Mr Guy said during his time as immigration minister (Dec 2011 to Jan 2013) he approved 833 people for citizenship under the exceptional circumstances clause. He could not recall if any of them had anything close to only 12 days in the country.

Prompted to name an instance where Mr Thiel had been a great ambassador for New Zealand since gaining his passport, Mr Guy said "He's promoting New Zealand all the time to people in the US. It's a very important market." He reiterated that Rod Drury and Sam Morgan had both backed the citizenship application, and said Mr Thiel had helped their companies can access to the US.

Asked why Mr Thiel kept his Kiwi citizenship secret if he was promoting New Zealand, Mr Guy said "I don't know what indeed he has kept secret. I'm not privy to all of the details he talks about."

Mr Guy also chipped in that, "The New Zealand media is only really interested in this individual because of his connections to the Trump regime." 

Readers back Guy but mystery remains
In a Business Pulse poll, NBR readers strongly backed the decision to grant the billionaire investor and Trump-backer a passport.

But it remains something of a mystery why Mr Thiel sought a New Zealand passport. 

He has never lived here.

He has not made any recent investments in local tech companies (in fact, he's been selling down).

And his Wanaka land purchase (which revealed his citizenship status last year) was well within the bounds of transactions habitually approved by the Overseas Investment Office.

One theory is that the German-born Californian was no fan of the Obama administration, and wanted a bolt-hole.

However, with Mr Thiel declining all offers to comment on his Kiwi passport, it remains speculation.

What is beyond doubt is that the Facebook, Paypal and Xero backer is one of New Zealand's richest citizens. Forbes puts his wealth at $US2.9 billion.

That will swell with the IPO of his spook software company Palantir, expected later this year.