Moving to New Zealand offers wealthy individuals and their families access to an exceptional quality of life, including top healthcare, high levels of education, and a safe, stable environment for both business, leisure and raising a family.
The New Zealand Active Investor Plus Program is a residency-by-investment program offered by the New Zealand Government. As more high-net-worth investors seek new countries to relocate to, New Zealand presents a wealth of opportunities.
The main applicant can include their spouse or partner, as well as dependent children up to the age of 24, in a single application. This flexibility allows the applicant to relocate their whole family without the need for separate submissions.
Once approved, all included family members are granted residency status, giving them the right to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely.
Moving to New Zealand with Your Family Through Investment
Moving to New Zealand with your family through investment has become more accessible than ever thanks to the recently amended Active Investor Plus Visa. The Active Investor Plus Program allows high-net-worth individuals to obtain residency if they can make a qualifying investment in New Zealand’s economy.
Furthermore, qualifying investors are able to include their spouse or partner and dependent children up to age 24 in the same application. Families and dependents of the primary applicant will also have the right to live, work, and study in New Zealand.
As of the 1st of April 2025, changes to the Active Investor Plus Program came into effect offering more flexible investment options and reduced residency requirements. The previously used weighting system has been replaced by two simplified investment categories: Growth and Balanced.
These new changes enable investors to obtain permanent residency at the end of the investment period, with only minimal physical presence required (21 days for holders of the Growth Category and 105 days for holders of the Balanced Category). The physical residency requirements only apply to the main applicant/investor.
Investors and their families will also have the right to live, study, and work in New Zealand even before their permanent residency visas have been issued.
North Americans Seeking New Zealand Residency: A Growing Trend
Political instability in the U.S., particularly following Trump’s 2024 election win, has resulted in a sharp increase in Americans considering permanent relocation to New Zealand. The motivation is based on the current political uncertainty, safety concerns, and the desire for a more relaxed lifestyle. New Zealand’s strong government, legal framework, and high levels of trade freedom rank 3rd in the World Bank Institute’s Worldwide Governance Indicators survey.
Americans relocating to New Zealand often cite the calm atmosphere, with one former Californian noting, “It doesn’t seem to be as fraught with anxiety.” The recently updated Active Investor Plus Visa has attracted significant interest since its April 2025 relaunch, with applications coming primarily from the U.S. American investors. The most common types of investors include professionals in their late 20s to early 40s with families, seeking safer environments where children can enjoy normal childhoods.
This kind of investors is warmly welcomed as New Zealand’s economy looks to recover, with direct investments delivering resulting in job creation, increased productivity, and growth in targeted sectors like technology, manufacturing, and renewable energy.
What Is the Active Investor Plus Visa? Overview for Families
New Zealand’s new Active Investor Plus program has been designed to attract high net worth investors to relocate to New Zealand and encourage investment that benefits the local economy.
Eligible participants of the Active Investor Plus program are permitted to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely, as long as they have met all the investment and time-in-country requirements. These physical in country residency requirements only apply to the main applicant/investor.
The Active Investor Plus Program offers many advantages for family members and dependents of the main applicant when compared to the other residency-by-investment programs. Some of the main examples include:
Increased Age Limit for Children/Dependents:
Many residency programs around the world (like those in Europe or the U.S.) only allow dependent children up to 18 or 21 years old. However, the Active Investor Plus Program in New Zealand has a more flexible approach and allows dependent children up to 24 years old to be included in the same application, subject to certain requirements.
The requirements for children/dependents under the Active Investor Plus Program are as follows, children under 18 can be included if they are single, while those aged 18 to 20 must also be single and have no children of their own. For those between 21 and 24, eligibility extends to those who are single, childless, and substantially reliant on an adult, whether a parent or not, for financial support, regardless of whether they live with that adult.
No Separate Applications Needed:
Some countries require separate applications or additional fees for each family member. Under New Zealand’s program, the spouse/partner and all qualifying children can be included in a single application without needing separate residency processes and having to pay the associated fees.
Equal Rights for Family Members:
Many residency-by-investment programs often restrict dependents to only be able to receive temporary visas or have restricted work rights. In New Zealand, once the application has been approved, all family members receive full residency rights and can live, work, and study without restriction.
Path to Permanent Residency:
Some programs restrict permanent residency for dependents based on conditions like study or financial dependence.However, dependents under Active Investor Plus Program are eligible for permanent residency together after the investment period ends.
How to Become a Resident in New Zealand with the Investor Plus Visa?
To be eligible for the New Zealand Active Investor Plus program, applicants must be in good health, of good character, and have no recent serious criminal convictions.
The most significant requirement is that the main applicant must be able to invest a minimum of NZD $5 million (approx USD $3,000,000) under the Growth category or NZD $10 million (approx USD $6 million) under the Balanced category in acceptable investments in New Zealand.
Applicants can also include their spouse/partner and dependent children (aged 24 or under) in the same application.
Notably, as of April 1st 2025 there is no longer for the applicant to satisfy an English language requirement (previously IELTS 5), making the program available to a wider range of investors.
Read Also : Move to New Zealand: The Active Investor Plus Visa Path
Investment Options: Growth vs. Balanced Categories Explained
To qualify for the Active Investor Plus Program, the most important applicants must meet the requirements of the investment categories. The New Zealand Active Investor Plus program is now split into 2 categories, Growth and Balanced.
Growth Category
Under the Growth category, the applicant must invest at least NZD $5 (approx USD $3,000,000) million in acceptable investments in New Zealand.
Acceptable investments for Growth Category can include either:
- direct investments, or
- managed funds for example venture capital, private equity, private credit.
Applicants who are applying under the Growth Category are required to retain the investment for 3 years. Finally, the minimum residency requirement or the amount of time the investor must physically be in New Zealand is only 21 days. It is important to note, that these 21 days can be spent in New Zealand at any time over the investment period.
Balanced Category
Under the Growth Category, the applicant must invest at least NZD $10 (approx USD $6,000,000) million in acceptable investments in New Zealand.
The Growth category has more options that eligible as acceptable investments and includes:
- direct investments
- managed funds
- listed equities
- philanthropy
- bonds, or
- property developments.
Applicants under the Balanced Category, are required to keep the investment for 5 years. The minimum residency requirement or the amount of time the investor must physically be in New Zealand is only 105 days. However, applicants in the Balanced Category are able to reduce the required residence period if they invest more than NZD $10,000,000. For every additional NZD $1,000,000 (approx USD $600,000) invested as direct investments or managed funds will allow the applicant to reduce the residency requirement by 14 days.
For example, if a further NZD $2,000,0000 (approx USD $1,200,000) in direct investments 28 days can be deducted from the 105 required days of residency. This means the residency requirements for such an applicant is 77 days.
Please note, the amount of days that can be deducted from the residency requirements via additional investment is limited to 42 days. Meaning the minimum amount of time required for residency under the Balanced category and additional investments is 63 days.
Another important consideration that investors should be aware of is that for both categories the timeframe for transferring the funds will be 6 months from Approval in Principle. Applicants can apply for a further 6 months extension if they can provide evidence that they made reasonable attempts to complete the transfer and within the initial six months.
Pathway to Permanent Residency in New Zealand and Citizenship for Families
Another significant advantage of the Active Investor Plus program is that it provides a direct path to first permanent residency and then citizenship.
Permanent Residency in New Zealand
After maintaining the investment for the required period, (three years for the Growth category and five years for the Balanced category) and satisfying the residency requirements, investors and their family members will become eligible to apply for permanent residence.
Please note that if the investor includes their family members in the application, they must arrive in New Zealand within 12 months of the application being granted. However, there is no minimum length of time that they are required to remain in the country.
New Zealand Citizenship
After holding permanent residency for 5 years, investors may be eligible to apply for New Zealand Citizenship. Furthermore, New Zealand recognises dual citizenship, meaning investors do not have to surrender their existing nationality.
To be eligible for citizenship investors must have satisfied the following:
- Must have lived in New Zealand for at least 5 years as a resident (i.e. at least 240 days per year for 5 years and at least 1,350 days total).
- Meet character requirements, including police clearance.
- Show existing and ongoing ties to the New Zealand community (i.e. intent to remain in New Zealand).
- Basic English skills
Read Also : What is Dual Citizenship and How Can I Obtain It in 2025?
Conclusion
The New Zealand Active Investor Plus Program offers a pathway to residency for high-net-worth individuals and their families through making an investment in New Zealand. The Active Investor Plus Program is particularly attractive to investors with families due to its flexibility and ease of access for family members. Applicants can include their spouse or partner, as well as dependent children up to the age of 24, in the same application, without needing separate submissions or additional fees.
Once approved, the entire family is granted residency status, allowing them the right to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely. The program also provides a direct pathway to permanent residency and citizenship after maintaining the investment for the required periods.
