Before you can apply for residence, you must complete an Investor (Investor 2 Category) Expression of Interest (INZ 1165) PDF.

If you've already submitted an EOI, and we invite you to apply for residence, we will send you an application form and other information to help you complete the application form.  Please refer to the guide – Investor (Investor 2 Category) Guide (INZ 1164) PDF to help you fill in your residence application form.

Your application must be received by the Business Migration Branch within four months of the date of our letter inviting you to apply.

When you submit your application you must provide evidence to support all of the claims that you made in your EOI.

Evidence everyone must provide

Along with your completed and signed application form, and the correct fee for every person included in the application, you must provide:

• two passport-size photographs
• photocopies of the identity pages of your passport(s)
• a full birth certificate.

Health

You must also show that everyone included in the application meets our health requirements by submitting a completed medical and chest x-ray certificate.

Character

You must also show that everyone included in the application who is aged 17 and over meets our character requirements by providing police certificates from their country(ies) of citizenship, and all countries they have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. This includes countries where the stay has been broken by short departures. See our pages on how to get a police certificate. 

Evidence that everyone meets English language requirements

You must show that everyone included in the application meets English language requirements. The requirements for the principal applicant are different from those for your partner and dependent children.

Principal applicant's English language

The evidence you must provide depends on how many points you are claiming.

Note:'IELTS' is the International English Language Testing System. A recent test from IELTS can be used as proof that you meet our English language requirements. IELTS certificates must be no more than two years old at the time you submit your application for residence.

Points you can claim for English language

1 point

If you are claiming 1 point you must provide an IELTS certificate which shows you gained at least an overall band score of 3 in the IELTS General or Academic Module.

4 points

If you are claiming 4 points you must provide an IELTS certificate which shows you gained at least an overall band score of 4 in the IELTS General or Academic Module.

10 points

If you are claiming 10 points, you must provide either:

• evidence you have an English speaking background OR
• an IELTS Certificate which shows you gained at least an overall band score of 5 in the IELTS General or Academic Module, OR 
• other evidence that you are a competent user of English.

Other evidence that you are a competent user of English may include:

• your current country of residence 
• countries you may have lived in before
• how long you were in each country
• your previous or current work and the level of English language skills required
• your qualifications and the level of English language skills they required.

You may be required to provide an IELTS test if your case officer is not satisfied that you meet the standard of English for which 10 points can be awarded.

Partner/dependent children's English language

To meet our English language requirements partners and dependent children aged 16 or older included in your application who already meet our minimum level of English language must provide the evidence listed above.

However, if your partner and/or dependent children do not yet meet the minimum standard of English, they can pre-purchase ESOL tuition in New Zealand. You purchase this tuition from us, on behalf of New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Commission. The residence visa will only be granted once you have paid the tuition charge.

Evidence of your partnership

If your partner is applying on your application form too, you need to show that you have been living together in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months.

Evidence you live together might include original or certified copies of documents showing shared accommodation (such as joint ownership of residential property, joint tenancy agreement, or correspondence (including postmarked envelopes) addressed to both you and your partner at the same address). See more on evidence of a genuine and stable relationship.

Evidence of your business experience

Acceptable evidence of your business experience can include (but is not limited to) original or certified copies of enough of the following documents to clearly demonstrate your business experience.

• Business registration
• company financial statements
• company tax returns and tax records
• shareholder certificates or proof of ownership of business
• pay slips
• job specifications
• job assessments
• personal tax returns
• letters of appointment
• certificates of service
• strategic planning documents,
• references from employers on company letterhead, stating your position(s) and dates of employment, and giving the contact phone number and address of the employer.

You may be able to provide other types of evidence appropriate to your circumstances. If you worked part time, you must show the actual weekly hours worked. 

If you are claiming business experience in more than one business you need to provide appropriate evidence for each of those businesses.

We may also ask you to produce other information to help us determine your application.

Evidence of your funds and/or assets

You need to provide evidence to show that you meet the requirements for both your ownership of the funds and/or assets that you are claiming, and to show that you have been capable of having earned or acquired your funds and/or assets legally.

Acceptable evidence of the value and ownership of funds and/or assets may include (but is not limited to) original or certified copies of the documents shown below. 

Cash

Bank books/statements.

Property

• Title deeds,
• a recent valuation report for your property from an independent registered adviser, and 
• mortgage documents or statements showing any liability incurred on the property.

Shares/bonds

• Share certificates 
• share printout reports 
• share trading cards (if applicable), and 
• a recent statement by a registered share broker or chartered accountant that certifies the current market value of your shares and bonds.

Business

• Documents of ownership, or financial interest in, the company/business, and
• an independent valuation by a chartered accountant (or appropriate person), including details of any mortgages, loans, or other financial obligations.

Other assets eg gold bullion

• Evidence of ownership, and 
• a recent independent market valuation.

All documents provided as valuations of assets must be no more than three months old when you make your residence application and must be produced by a reliable, independent agency.

Evidence of earning or acquiring funds and/or assets

Acceptable evidence to show that you earned or acquired your funds and/or assets legally may include (but is not limited to) original or certified copies of the documents below.

Salaries and bonuses

• Personal tax returns or tax certificates
• pay slips
• letters of appointment 
• employer certificates, and 
• bank statements showing receipt of earnings.

Business profits and dividends

• Business financial statements
• evidence of ownership or shareholding in the business, and 
• bank statements showing receipt of dividends.

Property

Evidence of capital appreciation of property, measured as the current value (or sale price if property has been sold) less purchase price, eg solicitor's settlement documents, bank statements showing your receipt of sale proceeds, valuation report for property currently owned.

Investments

• Bank certificates, and 
• evidence of share trading profits.

Inheritance

Probate and evidence of inheritance from your solicitor.

Gifts

Evidence of gifting, and evidence to show that your donor earned or acquired those funds and/or assets legally.

You need to give us a summary of the evidence that you are providing, showing how this demonstrates your capability to have earned or acquired your funds and/or assets legally.

You may be able to provide other types of evidence appropriate to your circumstances. We may also ask you to produce other information to help us determine your application.