Acceptable investments: Parent retirement visas

If you are applying for a Parent Retirement Resident Visa, you must invest your money in an acceptable investment.

What makes an investment acceptable

If we approve your application in principle, you have 12 months to transfer your funds to New Zealand and invest in an acceptable investment.

Transferring investment funds

Acceptable investments must:

• be able to make a commercial return
• be invested in New Zealand
• be invested in New Zealand dollars
• be invested in legal enterprises or managed funds
• have the potential to contribute to New Zealand's economy
• not be for your personal use, eg your home, boat, or car.

Investments must be bonds, equities or property.

Bonds can be:

• issued by the New Zealand government or local authorities
• issued by New Zealand firms traded on the New Zealand Debt Securities Market (NZDX)
• issued by New Zealand firms with at least a BBB- or equivalent rating from internationally recognised credit rating agencies, eg Standard and Poor's
• issued by New Zealand registered banks
• in finance companies

Equity can be:

• in New Zealand firms — these can be public or private
• in New Zealand registered banks.

Property can be residential property development.

Types of acceptable investments

Residential property development

We consider a residential property development to be an acceptable investment if:

• it is a new development, and not a renovation or extension to an existing residential property
• the development has the necessary approvals and consents
• the purpose of the development is to make a commercial return on the open market — it must not be for you, your family or friends to live in.

You cannot include any funds used to pay for the costs of any regulatory approvals or consents as part of your acceptable investment.

When your investment period begins

If we decide the funds in your name in your visa application are already in acceptable investments, your investment period begins on the day we write to you to let you know your application has been approved in principle.

If you transfer your funds into an acceptable investment after we approve your application in principle, the investment period begins on the date you have transferred and invested all of the required investment funds.

Keeping your funds invested

How long you must keep your funds invested in New Zealand depends on the kind of visa you have.

Check the conditions of your visa

Changing your acceptable investment during the investment period

You can move your investment funds from one acceptable investment to another during the investment period. You have 4 weeks to complete these transactions. This means that within 4 weeks of receiving the full sale proceeds, the funds must be fully reinvested into further acceptable investments. The funds cannot be left as cash for more than 4 weeks.

To make sure we will accept the new investment, contact us before moving your investment. Email:

inz.investors@mbie.govt.nz

You must keep a record of the documents if you change your investments. These can include:

• bank records showing funds movement
• evidence you sold securities, for example government bonds
• evidence of purchase of assets
• financial accounts and other business documents.

You must show that the funds are invested or kept in New Zealand for your required investment period.