If you are an experienced business person and you want to be self-employed in your own business in New Zealand, applying for a work visa under the Entrepreneur Work Visa Category may be an option for you.

An Entrepreneur Work Visa will enable you to move to New Zealand and buy or establish your own business. It could be the first step on your pathway to applying for residence in New Zealand under the Entrepreneur Residence Category.

How does this visa work?

An Entrepreneur Work Visa is a three year work visa in two stages: a Start-up stage and a Balance stage.

Start-up stage:

If your Entrepreneur Work Visa is approved, you will initially be given a 12-month work visa, enabling you to buy or establish your business in New Zealand.

Balance stage:

This is for the remaining 24 months of your visa. You can be granted the Balance of your Entrepreneur Work Visa once you have shown the Business Migration Branch that you have taken steps to establish your business.

Examples of steps are:

• Transferring your investment capital to New Zealand through the banking system
• Actions taken to establish your business, as shown by:

• documents showing setting up the business (e.g. certificate of incorporation)
• property purchase or lease documents for the business' site
• invoices for business equipment and supplies
• other documents such as employment agreements, bank statements, utility company invoices.

• Actions that show you have started operating your business, such as:

• documents evidencing the constitution of the business (e.g. certificate of incorporation)
• property purchase or lease documents relating to the business' site
• invoices for business equipment and supplies

What are the main requirements?

In order to be approved for an Entrepreneur Work Visa, you must:

• make a minimum capital investment of NZ$100,000, unless this requirement is waived
• meet or exceed 120 points on a scale which awards points for factors relating to the likely success of the proposed business and its value to New Zealand (NB: See our points calculator [XLS 783KB]).
• have a business plan specific to your proposed business
• not been involved in bankruptcy or business failure within the 5 years preceding the date your application is made
• not have been involved in business fraud or financial impropriety, and
• meet our health and character requirements for residence and English language requirements.

Find out more about the requirements for approval.