New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa

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 bonds, listed equities, philanthropy, property development (new residential or new/existing commercial or industrial), and Growth Category acceptable investments.

Investors have 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. Investors choosing the Balanced Category can reduce the minimum physical residency requirement by investing more than the minimum NZD 10M. Every extra NZD 1M invested in direct investments or managed funds permits a reduction of 14 days, up to a maximum deduction of 42 days. The minimum physical residency requirement would therefore be 63 days over a 5-year period if investing NZD 13M, of which at least NZD 3M must be in direct investments or managed funds.

Who may be included in the application?

A partner (spouse), whether married or de facto (same or opposite sex), may be included.

Dependent children up to 24 years of age may also be included. Children below 18 can be included if single. Children aged 18 to 20 can be included if single with no children of their own. Children aged 21 to 24 can be included if single, with no children of their own, and substantially reliant on an adult for financial support, whether they live with them or not.

Are there any health requirements?

Yes. The applicant must have a chest x-ray and a medical examination as proof of good health.

Is there any age limit to apply?

No, there is no age limit to apply.

Is there any English language requirement?

No, there is no English language requirement to apply.

Are there any character requirements?

Yes. All applicants aged 17 or over must provide a Police Certificate from their country of citizenship and from any other country where they have spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years, even if that 12 months was not spent consecutively.

How can the applicant prove funds were lawfully earned or acquired?

Evidence will depend on how the funds were acquired. 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.

Gifted funds 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 and assets must be nominated before the application is submitted. However, the actual investment into New Zealand is only required within 6 months following Approval in Principle.

What rights do I receive and when?

When Immigration New Zealand is notified that the investment has been completed, a conditional Resident Visa is granted (or visas for a family), and the investment period begins. This visa allows the holder to live, work, and study in New Zealand, subject to conditions that must be met to progress to permanent residency.

What are the requirements to maintain the conditional resident visa?

The investor must maintain the minimum required investment for the full investment period (3 to 5 years depending on the category).
They must spend the minimum required days in New Zealand.
Investments must remain in approved categories such as direct investments or managed funds.

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 the investor can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. This PR visa has no travel restrictions, meaning the investor can leave and return to New Zealand freely.

What are the key benefits of permanent residency?

There is no requirement to stay in New Zealand for a specific number of days.
The permanent resident has the right to live, work, and study in New Zealand indefinitely.
They have access to most benefits available to citizens, except voting and certain government jobs.

Is there a path to citizenship?

Five years after obtaining permanent residency, an investor can apply for New Zealand citizenship provided they meet the following criteria:

Time in New Zealand: Must have lived in New Zealand for at least 5 years as a resident — at least 240 days per year and at least 1,350 days in 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.

Please note that citizenship is not part of this program.