New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa
The New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa provides a streamlined pathway for international investors to achieve residency while actively engaging in the country’s investment opportunities. This program is designed to offer flexibility, featuring no language requirement and manageable physical residency commitments alongside maintaining a qualifying investment.
New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa Benefits
Residency and Family Inclusion
Dependents included:
- Spouse or partner.
- Dependent children of up to 24 years old at the time of submission.
Travel and Quality of Life
- Invest in New Zealand’s high value and growth investment opportunities – and obtain residency in exchange.
- Advanced education and healthcare systems.
Ease of Access
- Apply for Permanent Residency (PR) after Investment Period of 3 years if Option A Investment; or 5 years if Option B Investment.
- Potential path to citizenship after 5 years, subject to conditions.
- No language requirement.
New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa Requirements
- Maintain Qualifying investment during Investment Period.
- Satisfy New Zealand health and character requirements.
- Physical residency requirements over the relevant Investment Period: Option A: at least 21 days / Option B: at least 105 days. If Option B selected: Extra NZD 1M in direct investments or managed funds will knock-off 14 days – up to max deduction of 42 days (so min 63 days requirement).
New Zealand Residency Investment Visa Options
Option A Investment: Growth Category
NZ $5 million: Direct investments and/or investments in managed funds.
Option B Investment: Balanced Category
NZ $10 million in
- Bonds;
- Listed equities;
- Philanthropy;
- Property development (new residential or new/existing commercial or industrial); and
- Growth Category acceptable investments direct investments and/or investments in managed
New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa Process
Processing time To be announced Months
Due Diligence And Application
- Satisfy Eligibility Assessment.
- Submit an Active Investor Plus application pack (Estimated 4 months to Approval in Principle).
Approval And Investment
Upon approval, transfer of the investment funds to NZ within 6 months
Residency
The applicant can apply for Permanent Resident after the Investment Period.
Contact us
With over 30 years of immigration experience, each of Harvey Law Group’s lawyers carefully studies each client’s needs, resources and determines the immigration solution that best aligns with our client’s vision and values.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the investment requirement?
The applicant must make a complying investment in one of the following categories:
- GROWTH CATEGORY: NZ$5 million in direct investments and/or investments in managed funds.
- BALANCED CATEGORY: NZ$10 million in (a) bonds; (b) listed equities; (c) philanthropy; (d) property development (new residential or new/existing commercial or industrial); and (e) Growth Category acceptable investments direct investments and/or investments in managed.
Investor has the right to change from Growth Category to Balanced Category (and vice versa) once, while their application is under assessment or within the first 6 months of approval in principle.
What is the minimum investment period?
- GROWTH CATEGORY: 3 years
- BALANCED CATEGORY: 5 years
What is the physical residency requirement?
- GROWTH CATEGORY: 21 days
- BALANCED CATEGORY: 105 days – but note that Investors choosing the Balanced Category will be able to reduce the minimum physical residency requirement if they invest more than the minimum NZD 10M. Every extra NZD 1M invested in direct investments or managed funds will permit to knock-off 14 days – up to a maximum deduction of 42 days. In other words: the very minimum physical residency requirement would be 63 days over a 5 years period if investing NZD 13M (out of which at least NZD 3M in direct investments or managed funds).
Who may be included in the application?
- Partner (spouse) – married or de facto (same or opposite sex); or
- dependent child, up to 24 years of age.
Are there any health requirements?
Yes, the applicant must have a chest x-ray and a medical examination as proof of his good health.
Is there any age limit to apply?
No.
Is there any English requirement?
No.
Are there any character requirements?
Yes, all applicants 17 years or over, must provide a Police Certificate from his country of citizenship and any other country where he has spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years, even if he did not spend that 12 months all in one visit.
How can the applicant prove the funds were lawfully earned from acquired (source of investment funds)?
The evidence will depend on how he came by the funds. It may include tax returns or certificates, pay slips, business financial statements, business shareholdings, dividends, receipts for property sales, bank certificates, share trading profits, evidence of gifted money, probate and other evidence of inherited money.
Funds which have been gifted to the applicant are acceptable, as long as the gift was unconditional and lawful, and the funds were originally earned or acquired lawfully.
When is the investment required to be made?
Funds/assets shall be nominated before the application is submitted. But the investment is only required to be made into New Zealand within 6 months following Approval in Principle.
What rights do I receive, and When?
When Immigration New Zealand (“IMZ”) is notified that the investment has been completed, then the conditional Resident Visa is granted (or visas for a family), and the investment period begins. This visa allows them to live, work, and study in New Zealand, but it comes with conditions that must be met to progress to permanent residency.
Requirements to maintain the conditional resident visa
- Maintain the minimum required investment for the full investment period (3–5 years depending upon whether they are granted a visa under the ‘growth’ or ‘balanced’ categories).
- Spend the minimum days in New Zealand as specified.
- Ensure investments remain in approved categories (direct investments, managed funds, etc.).
What happens after the investment period?
After the investment period, provided that the investment and residency conditions have been met, the Visa conditions are lifted and HLG will assist investor to apply for a permanent resident visa. This PR visa has no travel restrictions, meaning the investor can leave and return to New Zealand freely.
Key benefits of permanent residency
- No requirement to stay in New Zealand for a specific number of days.
- The right to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely.
- Access to most benefits available to citizens (except voting and certain government jobs).
Path to citizenship (not part of this program)
After obtaining permanent residency, an investor can apply for New Zealand citizenship once they meet the criteria (time, character and language requirements).
- Time in New Zealand: 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).
- Good Character: No serious criminal convictions or violations of visa conditions.
- English Language Proficiency: Must demonstrate basic English skills.
- Intention to Stay: Must intend to remain in New Zealand or have a strong connection to the country.