The New Zealand Government has opened new visa policies for investors, making investment in New Zealand more attractive from April 2025 onwards:
The Active Investor Category and the Business Investor Visa:
Two new simplified investment categories have been introduced: Growth and Balanced.
Read more about the Active Investor Plus Visa
The Business Investor Work Visa offers 2 options for investors. Both options lead to residence in New Zealand.
Read more about the Business Investor Visa
"These recent changes help attract high-value investment, simplify settings, and incentivise people to invest in ‘active’ investment classes.
They reflect feedback from investors and industry stakeholders and provide a wider range of investment options that will attract new investors to our shores.
They also allow investors to become familiar with New Zealand’s investment community and gain the confidence to undertake more active investments in the future. "
Read Carsten's full article on New Zealand's upgraded Investor Policies:
After years of frustration with the Entrepreneur Work Visa, which carried an extremely high decline rate and left many aspiring entrepreneurs disappointed, New Zealand is introducing a new Business Investor Visa.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says the visa is designed to “breathe life into existing businesses” and attract experienced investors who can help strengthen the economy by actively running businesses.
For many, the change is long overdue. The old Entrepreneur Work Visa had become almost unbearable, with approval rates so low that even some of New Zealand’s most successful entrepreneurs — who started from scratch — would never have qualified under its settings.
Considering that New Zealand’s economy is woven together by a rich tapestry of small and medium-sized businesses, the closure of that category is not just welcome but necessary.
The hope is now that the new Business Investor Visa strikes the right balance — offering real opportunities without creating hurdles that are too high.
Two clear pathways to residence
The Business Investor Work Visa, opening in November 2025, provides two straightforward investment options:
• NZD $1 million investment in an existing business, leading to a 3-year work-to-residence pathway
• NZD $2 million investment in an existing business, offering a 12-month fast-track to residence.
Applicants may either buy a business outright or acquire at least 25% ownership to qualify.
Both options eventually lead to the Business Investor Resident Visa.
Unlike its predecessor, this new visa comes with clear rules, reducing uncertainty for applicants and businesses alike. For many migrant investors, this clarity will be a welcome change.
Family, flexibility, and stability
The visa is designed to support families as well as business investors.
Applicants can include their partner and dependent children in their application, making it easier to settle together in New Zealand.
The visa can be granted for up to 4 years.
What’s required
To qualify, applicants must:
• invest at least NZD $1m or $2m (depending on pathway chosen)
• prove they have at least NZD $500,000 in settlement funds
• be aged 55 or under at application
• meet English language requirements (IELTS 5.0 or equivalent)
• satisfy health and character standards
• demonstrate relevant business experience
• invest in a business employing at least five full-time staff
This ensures that investments are meaningful, sustainable, and beneficial to the wider community.
Restrictions on investment types
Certain businesses are excluded from eligibility, such as those in drop-shipping, gambling, tobacco and vaping, adult entertainment, discount stores, convenience shops, fast-food outlets, franchises, and home-based operations.
The goal is to channel investment into ventures that offer strong economic and employment outcomes.
A new era of opportunity
The Business Investor Visa sits alongside the refreshed Active Investor Plus Visa (updated in April 2025) and is part of a wider immigration reform aimed at attracting investment, skills, and global connections.
There is no doubt that the clarity, structure, and family-friendly design make this visa a far more attractive option than the old Entrepreneur Work Visa.
For many ambitious migrants, it could provide the opportunity to both contribute to New Zealand’s economy and build a life in a country renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit, quality of life, and natural beauty.
With clearer rules, stronger pathways, and a genuine focus on successful outcomes, New Zealand is opening the door to a new wave of investors ready to grow businesses and communities across the country.
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Dr. Carsten Hallwass | Licensed Immigration Adviser (200900212)
NEW ZEALAND IMMIGRATION CONCEPTS LTD
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