If you have bought or established your business and hold a visa under the Long Term Business Category, you can apply for residence earlier than under the Entrepreneur Category if you meet the requirements for residence under the Entrepreneur Plus Category.

Requirements

All applicants – you and your partner and dependent children (if applicable) – must meet our health, character and English language requirements. The other requirements are summarised below.

Holding a long-term business visa

You must hold a long-term business visa to apply for residence under the Entrepreneur Plus Category.

Establishment of a business in New Zealand

You will need to submit evidence to demonstrate you have successfully established a business in New Zealand. 

 

Please note that your application under the Entrepreneur Plus Category will not be approved if:

• the business that you have established and operated is different from the one included in your long-term business visa application (or one modified with the written consent of the Business Migration Branch), unless
• the business that you have established would have met the requirements for a business plan under the Long Term Business Category, and
• the business that you have established required at least the same level of capital investment as your original proposal, and
• you have relevant experience for the new business.

To have successfully established a business in New Zealand you must have:

• established or purchased, or made a substantial investment in a business operating in New Zealand
• been self-employed in your business in New Zealand
• invested at least NZ$0.5 million into your established business
• created a minimum of three new full-time jobs for New Zealand citizens or residents.

You will also need to ensure that your business complies with New Zealand employment and immigration law, and that you or any of your family members must not have applied for or been granted social welfare benefits in New Zealand. 

More information

Find out how to apply and see the questions and answers.