BB3.5 Requirement for capital investment (24/03/2014)

1. An applicant must be able to make a minimum capital investment of NZ$100,000, excluding working capital, in to their proposed business, unless waived as per BB3.5.1 below.
2. The principal applicant must:
   1. nominate funds and/or assets equivalent in value to NZ$100,000; and
   2. demonstrate ownership of these funds and/or assets (see BB3.5.5); and
   3. demonstrate that the nominated funds and/or assets have been earned or acquired legally (see BB3.5.5 (c) below).

BB3.5.1 Discretion to waive capital investment requirement

1. Only members of the management team of the Business Migration Branch are able to waive the minimum capital investment requirement.
2. The requirement for applicants to demonstrate a minimum capital investment of NZ$100,000 can only be waived for businesses in science, ICT, or other high value export-oriented sector, which demonstrates a high level of innovation or credible short-term high growth prospects.

BB3.5.5 Ownership of capital investment

1. The minimum capital investment of NZ$100,000 may be owned either:
   1. solely by the principal applicant; or
   2. jointly by the principal applicant and partner, provided a business immigration specialist is satisfied that the principal applicant and partner have been living together for 12 months or more in a partnership that is genuine and stable (see R2.1.15 and R2.1.15.1 (b) and R2.1.15.5 (a)(i)), and that the partner supports the use of these funds for the proposed business. If so, the principal applicant may claim the full value of such jointly owned funds or assets for assessment purposes.
2. If nominated funds and/or assets are held jointly by the principal applicant and a person other than their partner, the principal applicant may only claim the value of that portion of funds and/or assets for which they provide evidence of ownership.
3. The principal applicant may only nominate funds and/or assets that they earned or acquired legally, including funds and/or assets which have been gifted to them unconditionally and in accordance with local law. Where nominated funds and/or assets have been gifted to the principal applicant, a business immigration specialist must be satisfied that the funds and/or assets being gifted were earned lawfully by the person/s gifting the funds and/or assets.
4. The nominated funds and/or assets must be unencumbered.
5. The nominated funds and/or assets must not be borrowed, but may be gifted as per BB3.5.5(c).

Effective 24/03/2014