Immigration New Zealand has announced that the previous Investor Visa categories have been replaced with a new category called the Active Investor Plus Visa.
The key changes from the previous visa category are:
- A new minimum investment of $5 million NZD, (compared to the previous minimum investment of $3 million NZD)
- A greater focus on “active investments” with incentives for direct investments or managed funds.
Investment Requirement
To be eligible for the Active Investor Plus Visa, the applicant will need to meet the investment requirement of $15 million NZD. However, this requirement can be met through certain types of investments which are weighted higher than others, meaning the minimum investment is actually $5 million NZD. The weighting for different types of investments from the Immigration New Zealand website is below:
| Investment type | Weighting |
| Listed equities Maximum: NZD $7.5 million | X1 Each $1 invested will be accorded the value of $1 |
| Philanthropy Maximum: NZD $7.5 million | X1 Each $1 invested will be accorded the value of $1 |
| Managed funds | X2 Each $1 invested will be accorded the value of $2 |
| Direct investment | X3 Each $1 invested will be accorded the value of $3 |
Applicants who are invited to apply would need to keep the total investments in New Zealand for 48 months, and spend at least 117 days per year in New Zealand during the 4 year investment period, to be eligible for a resident visa.
Other Criteria
Other criteria which applicants must meet to be eligible for the Active Investor Plus Visa include:
- Being in good health;
- Being of good character;
- Being a fit and proper person (i.e. having a record of compliance with immigration, employment and taxation laws);
- Speaking and understanding English, which can be shown through either:
- An English language test. (For example, an IELTS overall score of 5.0 or more, TOEFL iBT score of 35 of more, Cambridge English B2 First score of 154. Some other English language tests are accepted – please ask us for more information.)
- An English speaking background (For example evidence of a certain amount of schooling or tertiary qualifications in English, living in an English speaking country, and so on)
If you are interested in the Active Investor Plus Visa or want to know more about your options for immigration to New Zealand, please contact ruth.katsui@gazeburt.co.nz. We can advise you in English or Japanese.
This article is not intended to be legal advice and is a summary of some, but not all criteria. We recommend seeking advice from a lawyer or licensed immigration adviser who can advise you on your specific situation.