Candace Owens, a conservative political commentator and influencer, has faced another setback in her planned speaking tour across Australia and New Zealand. The New Zealand government refused to grant Owens a visa to enter the country for a series of events scheduled in February and March 2025. The refusal comes just weeks after Owens was banned from Australia, making her exclusion from New Zealand part of a growing controversy surrounding her political views and public statements.
Owens, known for her outspoken views on a variety of issues, was denied entry by New Zealand immigration officials who cited her exclusion from Australia as the reason for the visa rejection. According to Jock Gilray, a spokesperson for the New Zealand immigration agency, the country’s laws prevent granting visas to individuals who have been barred from entering another country. Owens had planned to speak at events in Auckland, New Zealand, as part of a larger tour that also included stops in several Australian cities.
“Australia’s national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else,” – Tony Burke, Australian Immigration Minister.
Despite the visa rejections, tickets for the events are still being sold, and there has been no official mention of the bans on the promoter’s website. Owens had promised audiences in both countries that her discussions would focus on free speech, her Christian faith, and other personal beliefs. However, her controversial remarks about various political and social topics have led to intense criticism and calls for her exclusion from certain nations.
In Australia, Owens was banned from entry in October 2023 after remarks she made about the Holocaust and Muslims. Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke explained that Owens’ views posed a risk of inciting division and discord. Burke stated that Owens had “the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction,” and emphasized that Australia’s national interest would be best served by keeping her out. Australian Jewish groups had also lobbied for the ban, citing her minimization of the Holocaust and controversial stance on various social issues.
Owens has long been a divisive figure. She has been accused by critics of promoting conspiracy theories and antisemitism, and she has sparked outrage with her comments on Black Lives Matter, feminism, and vaccines. One of the most contentious moments in her career came in July 2023, when she made a video that downplayed the severity of the Holocaust, leading to widespread backlash.
In addition to her bans from New Zealand and Australia, Owens faced criticism earlier this year for her departure from The Daily Wire, a conservative media company where she had hosted an online talk show since 2021. Her departure was reportedly due to disagreements with the company’s founders over her comments about Jews and her opposition to U.S. military support for Israel. This fallout contributed to her growing reputation as a controversial figure within conservative circles.
While Owens continues to have a large following, with over 3 million subscribers on YouTube, her ability to secure speaking engagements in certain countries has been severely impacted by her polarizing views. Many of her supporters argue that her free speech rights are being suppressed by governments who disagree with her opinions, while critics maintain that her rhetoric poses a danger to social harmony and public safety.
New Zealand’s decision to bar Owens from entry follows a similar pattern seen in Australia, where officials acted based on her potential to stir public unrest. However, unlike Australia, New Zealand did not specifically cite her political views as the reason for the visa denial. Instead, the ban was attributed to the legal stipulation that individuals who have been refused entry to one country cannot be granted a visa to enter another. This technicality led to Owens’ exclusion from New Zealand, adding to the growing list of countries unwilling to host the conservative commentator.
Owens had planned to engage with audiences on topics such as free speech, which she has long advocated for, particularly in the context of conservative viewpoints being silenced in mainstream media. Her speaking tour was meant to provide a platform for her to express these beliefs in New Zealand and Australia, but with her visas now denied, it remains unclear how she will proceed with her planned events.
As debates over free speech, political correctness, and national security continue to shape global discussions, Owens’ exclusion from both New Zealand and Australia highlights the complexities surrounding controversial figures in the modern political landscape. For now, Owens remains barred from entering both countries, and her planned speaking tour will likely need to be altered.
