New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa

At least NZD 5,000,000 (about USD 3,000,000) for the Growth tier, held for 3 years, or NZD 10,000,000 (about USD 6,000,000) for the Balanced tier, held for 5 years. These are real at-risk investments, not government fees or refundable deposits.

Growth requires NZD 5M over 3 years in higher-risk direct investments and approved managed growth funds, with only 21 days of required stay. Balanced requires NZD 10M over 5 years across a broader, lower-risk basket including bonds and property development, with 105 days of required stay.

For the visa, just 21 days over the 3-year Growth period or 105 days over the 5-year Balanced period. Balanced days can fall to 63 with extra Growth investment. These minimums are only for the visa; citizenship later needs far more.

Not directly. It is a resident visa. Citizenship by grant requires 5 years of resident status and 1,350 days physically present, including 240 days each year. The minimal stay that makes the visa attractive will not, by itself, ever lead to a passport.

Earliest 5 years after gaining resident status, and only if you meet the 1,350-day presence test and intend to keep living in New Zealand. In practice that means genuinely relocating, not just holding the investment.

No. The money goes into real investments that can rise or fall in value, and the Growth tier in particular carries genuine risk of capital loss. There is no government refund and no guaranteed return.

No. The April 2025 reset removed both the English-language requirement and any age limit for the principal applicant, which was one of the biggest changes from the old regime.

Yes. Your partner and dependent children aged 24 and under can be included. Partners need to show at least 12 months of living together, and children aged 21 to 24 must show financial dependence on you.

Favorable for newcomers. There is no capital gains tax and no inheritance, estate, gift or wealth tax, and new migrants usually get a 4-year exemption on most foreign income. After 4 years the Foreign Investment Fund rules can tax offshore portfolios, so plan for year 5 with proper advice.

Immigration New Zealand reports approval in principle for 80 percent of cases within 10 weeks. After approval you have 6 months, extendable once by another 6 months, to transfer and invest the funds.

Immigration New Zealand fees start from about NZD 27,470. On top of that, budget for legal counsel, fund due diligence and tax structuring, which are separate and can be substantial at this investment level.

Property rules are restrictive for foreign buyers and have been in flux. New residential or commercial development can qualify as a Balanced-tier investment, but buying an existing home for personal use is governed by separate overseas-investment and foreign-buyer rules. Confirm current rules with counsel before assuming you can purchase.

The Active Investor Plus visa is a resident visa, not yet permanent. After meeting the conditions you can apply for a permanent resident visa, which has no expiry and no recurring travel-condition renewals once granted.

Yes. The Business Investor Work Visa is an open operator route. It requires at least NZD 1 million in an eligible established business, or NZD 2 million for the fast track, plus NZD 500,000 in reserve funds. You must be 55 or younger, meet English and business-experience requirements, actively run the business and create at least one new job. It is not a passive Active Investor Plus tier.