BN3 Active Investor Plus visa category requirements

1. An application under the Active Investor Plus visa category will be approved if a business immigration specialist is satisfied that:
   1. the principal applicant and family members included in the application meet health and character requirements (see A4 and A5); and
   2. the principal applicant meets the fit and proper person requirements (see BM1); and
   3. the principal applicant has nominated funds and/or assets equivalent in value to at least NZD:
      • $5 million if they are investing under the Growth Category; or
      • $10 million if they are investing under the Balanced Category; and
   4. the principal applicant has demonstrated ownership of the nominated funds and/or assets (see BN6.1); and
   5. the principal applicant has demonstrated the nominated funds and/or assets have been legally earned or acquired (see BN6.5); and
   6. the principal applicant has transferred the funds required to meet the minimum investment threshold for their category (NZD $5 million for the Growth Category and NZD $10 million for the Balanced Category) from the nominated funds, or funds from the sale of nominated assets, into acceptable investments (see BN7.10 and BN8.10).
2. Principal applicants may contact Immigration New Zealand and confirm they would like to change the category they initially applied under (from Balanced to Growth or vice versa) while their application is still under assessment or within the first six months of their approval in principle, provided they have not already changed category.
3. An application under the Active Investor Plus visa category must be declined if the principal applicant has:
   1. nominated funds and/or assets to invest under the Growth Category equivalent in value lower than NZD $5 million; or
   2. nominated funds and/or assets to invest under the Balanced Category equivalent in value lower than NZD $10 million; or
   3. transferred and invested the funds as set out in (a)(vi) above and the total amount is lower than the amount required to qualify for the category they are applying under; or
   4. not transferred and invested the funds as set out in (a)(vi) above within the timeframes set out in BN8.15.

Note: If the principal applicant is applying under the Balanced Category and wishes to be eligible for a reduction of the required total time spent in New Zealand (see BN10.15.1), their total investment amount must be at least NZD $11, $12 or $13 million (depending on how many days they wish to be deducted). The additional funds nominated in order to reduce the required time spent in New Zealand must be nominated before the application is approved in principle and must then be placed in acceptable direct investments or managed funds.

Effective 01/04/2025