On the 27th July 2009 the Migrant Investment Policy came into effect replacing Immigration New Zealand’s Active Investor Migrant Policy and effectively making investing in New Zealand as a way to obtain residence easier. The object of the new policy is to attract international investors to New Zealand by providing residence to those who make a significant financial contribution to New Zealand’s economy.

The policy is divided into two qualifying categories:

1. Investor 1 Category : also known as Investor Plus; and
2. Investor 2 Category: also known as Investor.

The requirements for each category are set out below:

Investor 1 Category (Investor Plus)

Maximum age: No requirement

Business Experience: None required

Investment Funds: NZ$10 Million invested in NZ for 3 years

Settlement Funds: No requirement

Principal Applicant’s English Language: No requirement

Family members English Language: No requirement

Minimum time in New Zealand: 73 days in NZ in each of the last two years of the 3 year investment period.

Investor 2 Category (Investor)

Maximum age: 65 or younger

Business Experience: Minimum of 3 years

Investment Funds: NZ$1.5 Million invested in NZ for 4 years

Settlement Funds: NZ$1 Million (transfer not required)

Principal Applicant’s English Language: An English speaking background; an International English Language Testing System test report with a band score of 3 or more; a competent user of English.

Family members English Language: Same as principal or pre purchased ESOL tuition.

Minimum time in New Zealand: 146 days in NZ in each of the last three years of the 4 year investment period.

Health and Character

Applicants under both categories must meet Immigration New Zealand’s general health and character requirements.

How to Apply

The process of applying for residence under the Migrant Investor Policy is dependent on the category you are applying under.

To apply under the Investor 1 Category you need to complete and submit an Investor Plus (Investor 1 Category) Application for Residence form and supply evidence that you meet the above requirements.

To apply under the Investor 2 Category is a two step process similar to the Skilled Migrant Policy. First you need to complete and submit an Expression of Interest providing Immigration New Zealand with the information on how you satisfy the requirements. It is not necessary to supply the evidence at this stage. The Expression of Interest System is a points based system where points are claimed for your age, business experience, and English language and investments funds. As with the Skilled Migrant Policy, all Expression of Interest applications are placed into a pool. Those applications which have the highest scores are pulled from the pool and the applicants may be invited to apply for residence. If your Expression of Interest is accepted you will be sent an invitation to apply. You will then need to submit an application for residence and provide the necessary evidence as is required under the Investor 1 Category. There is however a limitation to how many residency applications will be accepted under this category. Currently it is 300 applications each year.

If you are interested in investing in New Zealand and would like more information on applying under this policy or would like some advice on whether you satisfy the necessary requirements of this policy, please contact Rebecca Stevenson at Gaze Burt rebecca.stevenson@gazeburt.co.nz.