Investor Plus
Investors willing to invest at least NZ$10 million in New Zealand are eligable to apply for New Zealand residence under the Investor Plus visa program.
Along with the applicant immediate family members may also apply and everyone included in the residence application will have to meet certain health[1] and caracter[2] requirements.
[1] To be able to gain residence in New Zealand the applicant and the family members included in the application have to have an acceptable standard of health.
Generally, residence for people will not approved if they:
- require dialysis treatment
- have tuberculosis (TB)
- have severe haemophilia
- have a physical, intellectual, cognitive and/or sensory incapacity that requires full-time care, including care in the community.
[2] Police certificates are required for the applicant as evidence of good character
Investment funds and/or assets
The funds and/or assets invested must be equivalent to at least NZ$10 million. An evidence is required to show that these funds and/or assets:
- are owned by the applicant or jointly by the applicant and his/her partner and/or dependent children
- are unencumbered, is not subject to any mortgage, loan, 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, or a foreign exchange company that uses the banking system.
The investment shall meet the following criteria (acceptable investment):
- is capable of a commercial return under normal circumstances, and
- is not for the personal use of the applicant(s), and
- is invested in New Zealand in New Zealand currency, and
- is invested in lawful enterprises or managed funds that comply with all relevant laws in force in New Zealand, and
- has the potential to contribute to New Zealand’s economy, and
- is invested in either one or more of the following:
- bonds issued by the New Zealand government or local authorities, or
- bonds issued by New Zealand firms traded on the New Zealand Debt Securities Market (NZDX), or
- bonds issued by New Zealand firms with at least a BBB- or equivalent rating from internationally recognised credit rating agencies (for example, Standard and Poor’s), or
- equity in New Zealand firms (public or private including managed funds), or
- bonds issued by New Zealand registered banks, or
- equities in New Zealand registered banks, or
- residential property development(s) (see Residential property development below), or
- bonds in finance companies.
After the residence is approved
Once the residence application is approved in principle, the principal applicant will have 12 months to transfer the nominated investment funds and invest them in the acceptable investment in New Zealand. The invested funds shall retain in the investment for three years. Each year the applicant have to spend at least 44 days in New Zealand in years two and three of the three-year investment period.
Investor Category requirements
Investors willing to invest at least NZ$1.5 million in New Zealand are eligable to apply for New Zealand residence under the Investor visa program.
Under this category, the first step is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, showing the eligibility of the Applicant for points under the various criteria for this category. Maximum of 300 residence Applications per year are approved under the Investor Category. A fortnightly selection is made from the pool of EOIs, selecting the Applicants with the highest points totals. In case if the invitation is issued to apply for residence, then the Applicant should provide evidence that the criteria for the Investor Category Application are meet as per the claims made in the EOI.
Everyone included in the residence application will have to meet health, character, and English language requirements[3].
The principal Applicant must be aged 65 or younger, and have at least three years’ business experience, as well as meeting the Investor criteria summarised below.
[3] – an English speaking background, or
– an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test report with an overall band score of three or more, or
– a competent user of English i. e. (Evidence that you are a competent user of English, might include: a) your current country of residence,
b) countries you may have lived in before, c) how long you were in each country, d) whether you speak any languages other than English, e) your family’s ability to speak English, f) whether your family members speak any languages other than English, g) your previous or current work and the level of English language skills required, h) your qualifications and the level of English language skills they required).
Investment and settlement funds and/or assets
The investment funds and/or assets nominated must be equivalent to at least NZ$1.5 million, though it is possible nominate more, depending on the points claimed in the EOI. In addition, the Applicant have to own settlement funds and/or assets of at least NZ$1 million. In the residence Application, the Applicant will need to provide evidence showing that the investment and settlement funds and/or assets are owned by the Applicant or jointly by the Applicant and his/her partner and/or dependent children.
The Applicant will also need to be able to provide evidence showing that the intended investment funds:
- are unencumbered, ie 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, or a foreign exchange company that uses the banking system.
After the approval in principle is issued, the Applicant will need to provide verifiable documents to show that the transferred funds came from the funds and/or assets nominated in the Application. The investments shall be placed in an acceptable investment(s) in New Zealand.
The investment shall meet the following criteria (acceptable investment):
- is capable of a commercial return under normal circumstances, and
- is not for the personal use of the Applicant(s), and
- is invested in New Zealand in New Zealand currency, and
- is invested in lawful enterprises or managed funds that comply with all relevant laws in force in New Zealand, and
- has the potential to contribute to New Zealand’s economy, and
- is invested in either one or more of the following:
- bonds issued by the New Zealand government or local authorities, or
- bonds issued by New Zealand firms traded on the New Zealand Debt Securities Market (NZDX), or
- bonds issued by New Zealand firms with at least a BBB- or equivalent rating from internationally recognised credit rating agencies (for example, Standard and Poor’s), or
- equity in New Zealand firms (public or private including managed funds), or
- bonds issued by New Zealand registered banks, or
- equities in New Zealand registered banks, or
- residential property development(s) (see Residential property development below), or
- bonds in finance companies.
Transfers through a foreign exchange company using the banking system are not accepted if satisfactory evidence of the following are not provided:
- the nominated investment funds have been transferred to the foreign exchange company directly from the bank account(s) of the Applicant, and
- the nominated investment funds have not been transferred through the foreign exchange company contrary to the laws of New Zealand, and
- nominated investment funds transferred are traceable, and
- cash transactions were not made, and
- the foreign exchange company is not suspected of, or proven to have committed fraudulent activity or financial impropriety in any country it operates from or in.
After residence is approved
Once the residence application is approved in principle, the principal applicant will have 12 months to transfer the nominated investment funds and invest them in the acceptable investment in New Zealand. The invested funds shall retain in the investment for four years. Each year the applicant have to spend at least 146 days in New Zealand in years two and three of the three-year investment period.
