If you want to invest at least NZ$1.5 million in New Zealand, and you would like to apply for New Zealand residence, the Investor Category could be an option for you.

Under this category, the first step is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, showing your eligibility for points under the various criteria for this category. We can approve a maximum of 300 residence applications per year under the Investor Category. We make a fortnightly selection from the pool of EOIs, selecting those applicants with the highest points totals. If we invite you to apply for residence, you will then need to provide evidence that you meet the Investor criteria, as per the claims you made in your EOI.

Everyone included in your residence application will have to meet our health, character, and English language requirements. 

You (the principal applicant) must be aged 65 or younger, and have at least three years’ business experience, as well as meeting the Investor criteria summarised below.

Investment and settlement funds and/or assets

The investment funds and/or assets you nominate must be equivalent to at least NZ$1.5 million, though you may nominate more, depending on the points claimed in your EOI. In addition, you need to own settlement funds and/or assets of at least NZ$1 million. In your residence application, you will need to provide evidence showing that your investment and settlement funds and/or assets are owned by you or jointly by you and your partner and/or dependent children.

You will also need to be able to provide evidence showing that your intended investment funds:

• are unencumbered, ie not subject to any mortgage, lien, charge and/or encumbrance (whether equitable or otherwise) or any other creditor claims
• have been earned or acquired legally
• are transferable through the banking system, or a foreign exchange company that uses the banking system.

After we give you approval in principle, you will need to provide verifiable documents to show that the funds you transfer to New Zealand came from the funds and/or assets that you nominate. You will need to place your investment funds in an acceptable investment(s) in New Zealand.

We may not accept the funds transferred through a foreign exchange company using the banking system if you cannot provide satisfactory evidence of the following:

• the nominated investment funds have been transferred to the foreign exchange company directly from your bank account(s), and
• the nominated investment funds have not been transferred through the foreign exchange company contrary to the laws of New Zealand, and
• nominated investment funds transferred are traceable, and
• cash transactions were not made, and
• the foreign exchange company is not suspected of, or proven to have committed fraudulent activity or financial impropriety in any country it operates from or in.

After residence is approved

If your residence application is approved in principle, you (the principal applicant) will have 12 months to transfer your nominated investment funds and invest them in an acceptable investment in New Zealand, though you can apply to have this timeframe extended. You can also apply for a work visa so you can travel to New Zealand to look into investment opportunities. You will need to retain your investment funds in an acceptable investment(s) for four years, and spend at least 146 days each year in New Zealand in years two, three and four of your four-year investment period. More information about after residence is granted.

Express an interest, then apply

If you think you meet the requirements, find out how to apply. You might also like to find out about our Investor Plus Category for investors wanting to invest NZ$10 million or more, or if you want to work in your own business in New Zealand you might like to find out about our Long Term Business Category and our Entrepreneur Category.