Investment Category

An applicant who wishes to invest funds in a business and live in New Zealand can apply for Residence visa under the new  Investor/Investor Plus policies.  Another option is to apply for visitor's visa under Temporary Retirement Category, which is valid for up to two years for applicants who are aged 66 or over.


The Migrant Investment Policy is for investors who want to gain residence in New Zealand.  The policy is divided into two categories: Investor Plus (Investor 1 Category), and Investor (Investor 2 Category).  


Investor Plus - If an applicant wishes to apply for New Zealand residence and invest at least NZ$10 million in New Zealand, the Investor Plus category is the best option.

To apply under this category, the applicant can submit a residence application directly. The applicant and family members included in the residence application will have to meet the health and character requirements. Also the applicant will need to provide verifiable evidence to meet the Investor Plus criteria during application process summarised below.

1. Applicant must invest NZ$10 million in NZ for 3 years
2. Applicant must reside in New Zealand for 73 days in each of the last two years of the three-year investment period

The applicant cannot nominate investment funds or assets that are intended to be brought  to New Zealand for the personal use – for example a personal residence, car, or boat.

The applicant will also need to be able to provide evidence showing that the intended investment funds:

-    are owned by the applicant or jointly by the applicant and spouse and/or dependent children
-    are unencumbered, i.e. not subject to any mortgage, lien, charge and/or encumbrance (whether equitable or otherwise) or any other creditor claims
-    have been earned or acquired legally
-    are transferable through the banking system

After the residence application is approved in principle, the principal applicant  will have 12 months to transfer the nominated investment funds and invest them in an acceptable investment in New Zealand, though the applicant  can apply to have this timeframe extended.  The applicant can also apply for a work visa to travel to New Zealand to look into investment opportunities. Also the applicant will need to retain the  investment funds in an acceptable investment for three years.  

Investor -  If an applicant wishes to apply for New Zealand residence and invest at least NZ$1.5 million in New Zealand, the Investor Plus category is the best option.

To apply under this category, the first step is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, showing the eligibility for points under the various criteria for this category. The Immigration department can approve a maximum of 300 residence applications per year under the Investor category. The make a fortnightly selection from the pool of EOIs, selecting those applicants with the highest points totals. If an applicant is invited to apply for residence, the applicant will then need to provide evidence of meeting the Investor criteria, as per the claims made in the EOI application.  The applicant and family members included in the residence application will have to meet the health, character and English language requirements.

The applicant must meet the following requirements to apply under this category:

• Applicant must be below 65 years
• Applicant need minimum 3 years work experience
• Applicant must invest NZ$1.5 million in NZ for 4 years
• Applicant must have settlement funds equivalent to NZ$1 million (need not be transferred)
• Applicant must meet the English language requirement threshold of competent English; also family members should meet the English language requirement or should purchase ESOL tuition
• Applicant must reside in New Zealand for 146 days in each of the last three years of the four-year investment period

The investment funds and/or assets that the applicant nominates must be equivalent to at least NZ$1.5 million, though the applicant may nominate more, depending on the points claimed in the EOI. In addition, the applicant needs to own settlement funds and/or assets of at least NZ$1 million. The applicant also need to provide evidence showing that the  investment and settlement funds and/or assets shown in the residence application are owned by the applicant or  jointly by the applicant and spouse and/or dependent children.  

The applicant will also need to be able to provide evidence showing that the 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
• have been earned or acquired legally
• are transferable through the banking system

After the residence application is approved in principle, the principal applicant  will have 12 months to transfer the nominated investment funds and invest them in an acceptable investment in New Zealand, though the applicant  can apply to have this timeframe extended.  The applicant can also apply for a work visa to travel to New Zealand to look into investment opportunities. Also the applicant will need to retain the  investment funds in an acceptable investment for four years, and spend at least 146 days each year in New Zealand in years two, three and four of your four-year investment period.