The New York Yacht Club's first America's Cup boat will arrive in Auckland next month, but it will be some time before it is seen out on the Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf.
American Magic have packed everything up and a container is due to leave the US on Monday bound for Auckland. It is expected to take up to 35 days to arrive.
Kiwi skipper Dean Barker will be among the first to arrive in mid-June, confirming they only have a skeleton crew of around six or seven Kiwis who hold New Zealand passports or are permanent residents, with the vast majority waiting on government permission to enter the country.
"It's obviously great for our team to focus now on setting up in New Zealand and getting our team relocated down there," Barker told the Herald from his base in Pensacola, Florida.
"The question still remains as to when we will be able to bring in the foreign team members into New Zealand and we have been working with the authorities to understand how that may play out in the coming weeks."