BD2.30 English language requirements

1. Principal applicants in the Business Investor work visa category must meet the minimum standard of English.
2. Principal applicants are considered to meet the minimum standard of English if they provide acceptable English language test results, no more than two years old at the time the application is lodged, as set out at BD2.30(g) and obtained by sitting the test in person at a test centre (tests taken remotely outside of a test centre, including ‘at home’ tests, are not acceptable).
3. Other evidence that a principal applicant meets the minimum standard of English is:
   1. citizenship of Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America, provided the applicant has spent at least five years in work or education in one or more of those countries or Australia or New Zealand; or
   2. a qualification meeting the requirement at (f) below comparable to a New Zealand level 7 bachelor’s degree and gained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America as a result of study undertaken for at least two academic years in one or more of those countries; or
   3. a qualification meeting the requirement at (f) below comparable to a New Zealand qualification at level 8 or above and gained in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America as a result of study undertaken for at least one academic year in one or more of those countries.
4. In any case, an immigration officer may require a principal applicant to provide an English language test result in terms of paragraph BD2.30 (b). In such cases, the English language test result will be used to determine whether the principal applicant meets the minimum standard of English.
5. Applications must be declined if the principal applicant has not met the minimum standard of English.
6. Where evidence of a qualification is being used to meet English language requirements, the applicant must submit a qualification from one of the countries listed at BD2.30 (c)(i), (ii) or (iii) and provide an International Qualification Assessment from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority unless:
   1. the qualification is included on the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (Appendix 17); or
   2. the applicant has been awarded full or provisional registration by a New Zealand organisation authorised by law to give occupational registration, and registration involves an assessment that their overseas qualification(s) is comparable with a New Zealand qualification that is included in the List of Qualifications.
7. The following English language test results are acceptable:

*A score of Grade C or higher in all four skills is required for the OET as there is no overall grade for this test.

Effective 24/11/2025