VISAS TO INVEST AND INNOVATE TO NEW ZEALAND

These visas provide the opportunity for you to settle, or at least spend considerable time here. It’s all part of our commitment to welcoming overseas investment.

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Our Investor business migration visas are for investors who want to gain residence in New Zealand.

The Investor Visa (Investor 2 Category) is an option if you plan to invest a minimum of NZ$3 million over a four-year period. If you’re looking to invest $NZ10 million or more then the Investor Plus Visa could be a better option. Below are the main differences between these two options.

Criteria for approval

Investor Visa
$ 3mNZD

Invested for 4 years

146 days in NZ in each of the last three years of a four year investment period or 438 days in NZ over the four year investment period*.

Additional requirements:

• Minimum 3 years business experience
• English language requirements apply
• Family members must have English language ability the same as principal applicant or pre-purchase ESOL tuition
• Maximum applicant age 65 years

Investor Plus Visa
$10mNZD

Invested for 3 years

44 days in NZ in each of the last 2 years of a three-year investment period or 88 days over the three-year investment period*.
No additional requirements.

Rewards for growth investments

Investor visa holders can meet their time in New Zealand requirement flexibly in the event that they make investments as a minimum 25% in their funding rate variety in property aside from Bonds and Philanthropic Investment, with Investor 2 visa holders required to spend 438 days over the four month funding duration and Investor Plus visa holders required to spend 88 days over the three month funding duration.

Investor 2 visa holders who spend at least 50% of their investment price range in assets other than bonds and philanthropic investment will have their investment amount reduced by $0.5 million.

Acceptable investments

The opportunities you take up must fit our ‘acceptable investment’ criteria, If you’re interested in applying under one of our investor policies therefore Broadly speaking, acceptable investments can be:

• Equity in NZ firms, public or private. An equity investment can be active or passive, and be made direct or via managed funds.
• Bonds, issued by the NZ Government, NZ local authorities or approved NZ banks, finance companies or firms.
• New residential property development that is not for the investor’s personal use and designed to make a commercial return on the open market.
• Up to 15% of the investment total can be philanthropic investment.

Generally, to be considered acceptable, an investment must:

• Be capable of a commercial return under normal circumstances.
• Be invested in New Zealand in New Zealand currency.
• Have the potential to contribute to New Zealand’s economy.
• Not be for the personal use of the investor.

Investment funds

You can nominate a mix of funds and/or assets to invest. They must be equivalent to at least NZ$3 million for Investor or NZ$10 million for Investor Plus, though you may nominate more, depending on the points claimed in your Expression of Interest (EOI).

You must submit proof that your investment and/or assets are owned solely by you or/ and your partner and/or dependent children if they are included in the application.

You’ll also need to provide evidence showing that your intended investment funds:

• are unencumbered, i.e. not subject to any mortgage, lien, charge and/or encumbrance (whether equitable or otherwise) or any other creditor claims
• Legally acquired
• are transferable through the banking system or through a foreign exchange company that uses the banking system (Immigration New Zealand will not be able to approve your application if you are unable to transfer funds to New Zealand through the banking system).

Principle approved residence

You must register as a New Zealand-based individual or become a member of the New Zealand Stock Exchange before you can invest in New Zealand. With either category you’ll have to provide verifiable documents to show that the funds and/or assets you transfer to New Zealand came from overseas.

Post residence

For the Investor Plus category, you’ll need to keep your investment funds in an acceptable investment for three years. You’ll also have to spend at least 44 days in New Zealand each year in years two and three of your three-year investment period or 88 days over that period.

You must retain your investment funds in an appropriate investment for four years if you are in the Investor group. In addition, you must spend at least 146 days each year in New Zealand in years two, three, and four of your four-year investment term, for a total of 438 days.