New Zealand Investor Visa Pathways Explained

A practical guide from a relocation-obsessed lawyer who’s shepherded dozens of families through the Kiwi red-tape maze.

“Don’t think of the investment as a sunk cost. Think of it as buying front-row tickets to one of the safest, cleanest and most politically stable countries on Earth—plus a pathway to permanent residence.”

Why listen to me?

I’m an Auckland-based immigration lawyer who drinks long blacks, reads legislation for fun (yes, really) and spends far too many evenings calming frantic applicants over Zoom. In the past decade I’ve helped more than 80 investor-class applicants secure residence, from US tech founders to Singaporean family offices. This article distils the questions I’m asked every single week—no jargon, no fluff, just practical steps you can follow.

Investor Visa 101: The Two Pathways

New Zealand offers two main residence-by-investment routes:

Tip: Don’t confuse these with the now-discontinued “Entrepreneur” or “Global Impact” categories. Those still exist, but their criteria are entirely separate.

1. Eligibility Criteria

Investor 1

1. Investment capital
   • Minimum NZD 10 million (or foreign currency equivalent)
   • Funds must be legally acquired and transferable through the banking system.

2. Source & ownership of funds
   • Personal, business, or family trust assets are all acceptable—but you must prove the money is yours to move.
   • Gifts are acceptable if they’re unconditional and fully documented.

3. Fit and proper person
   • No serious immigration or criminal offences.
   • Good character requirement is strict but transparent.

4. Health
   • Standard medical and chest X-ray; serious chronic conditions may lead to a waiver request.

5. English language
   • None required! Children aged 16–17 must show “functional” English or pre-pay language tuition.

6. Settlement requirement
   • Spend at least 44 days in New Zealand in each of the final two years of the investment period, or 88 days total.

Investor 2

1. Age
   • Must be 65 or under when the Expression of Interest (EOI) is selected.

2. Investment capital
   • NZD 3 million minimum; more if you want extra points.
   • Up to 50 % can be in “growth investments” to shave down the physical presence days (advanced strategy).

3. Business experience
   • 3+ years for minimum points; 9+ for the maximum 15 points.
   • Formal positions (director, C-suite) carry more weight than passive shareholding.

4. English language
   • IELTS General or Academic 3.0 overall (yes, that low) for principal applicant.
   • Family members 16+ need 4.0+. Alternatively, pay English tuition bonds.

5. Settlement funds
   • Must prove additional net assets equalling or exceeding investment amount.

6. Health & character
   • Identical to Investor 1.

7. Minimum points threshold
   • 20 points at the time of writing, but selections are competitive—42+ is safer.

Pro tip: Calculate your point score honestly. Every April and October Immigration New Zealand (INZ) tweaks the bar. Get a pre-assessment to avoid wasting six months.

2. Required Documents

Below is a “no surprises” checklist I provide every client. Keep it handy.

Identity & Personal

• Passports (all pages, even the stamps that only show your trip to Bali)
• Birth certificates for each family member
• Marriage, divorce or adoption certificates if applicable

Wealth & Funds

• Bank statements (12 months minimum)
• Sale and purchase agreements (property, shares, businesses)
• Company financials (two years audited)
• Tax returns (prove you reported that capital gain!)
• Gift deeds or trust deeds (if funds were received or held via these vehicles)

Business Experience Evidence (Investor 2 only)

• Company registration certificates
• Board minutes showing your appointment
• Organisational charts with your name highlighted
• Letters from auditors confirming revenue and your role

Health & Character

• Medical certificates (INZ 1007)
• Chest X-rays (INZ 1096)
• Police clearances from every country you lived in for 12+ months over the last decade

English Ability (Investor 2)

• IELTS/TOEFL/PTE certificates
• OR signed Tuition Agreement + fee receipts

Post-decision

• Transfer receipts (TTs or SWIFT confirmations)
• Investment portfolio statements from registered NZ financial institutions
• Annual settlement day trackers (INZ sends a reminder, but DIY spreadsheets save headaches)

Remember: INZ loves consistency. A name mismatch between your passport and a share certificate will earn you a Potentially Prejudicial Information (PPI) letter—translation: three nervous weeks scrambling for extra proof. Fix typos in advance.

3. Costs and Processing Times

Money first, because, well, it’s an investor visa.

Government Fees (as of November 2021)

Fees are quoted per application, not per person. Add visa label postage (NZD 30 per passport) if you’re old school and want a physical sticker.

Third-party Costs

• Medical examinations: NZD 400–600 per person
• Police certificates: Vary (USD 20 in the US, GBP 45 in the UK, free in Singapore)
• IELTS: ~NZD 400
• Legal & advisory fees: NZD 15 k–30 k typical for full-service representation
• Portfolio management: 0.5–1.2 % annually on invested funds

Processing Timeframes

Real-world example: My fastest Investor 1 went from lodgement to resident visa in 11 months 5 days (pre-COVID). Longest Investor 2 took 36 months because the client underestimated due-diligence on a South American mining asset. Moral: clean documentation = faster approvals.

4. Step-by-Step Application Process (Roadblocks Highlighted)

Step 1: Preliminary Assessment

Book a 30-minute consult with a licensed adviser or lawyer. We run:

• A financial asset audit
• Points calculation (Investor 2)
• Character red-flag scan (past visa refusals? prosecutions?)

Roadblock #1: Undisclosed skeletons. INZ cross-checks with Five Eyes data. If you forgot that 2002 Canadian DUI, own it now, craft a waiver strategy.

Step 2: Expression of Interest (Investor 2 Only)

• Submit online EOI, pay NZD 620.
• Wait for monthly draw—top points selected first.

Tip: If your EOI hovers at the cut-off, add extra investment funds to spike your score.

Step 3: Source-of-Funds Dossier

Simultaneously prepare your evidence bundle. Banks hate last-minute large transfers these days (thanks, AML!). Expect to produce 10-year transaction histories.

Roadblock #2: Crypto. INZ accepts Bitcoin gains if you show fiat conversion, KYC exchange receipts and tax declarations. Screenshot of Coinbase balance ≠ evidence.

Step 4: Lodgement & Fee Payment

• Upload full application through INZ Online or courier a USB drive (yes, still accepted).
• Pay the hefty application fee.
• Receive your case number. Clock starts ticking.

Step 5: Case Officer Queries

Expect at least one PPI letter. Common themes:

• Verification of foreign tax payments
• Proof of business experience (Investor 2)
• Clarifying a family trust’s beneficiaries

Respond within 14–21 days. Miss the deadline and your file can be lapsed.

Step 6: Approval in Principle (AIP)

Congrats! You now have 3 months (Investor 1) or 12 months (Investor 2) to:

1. Transfer nominated funds to NZ through the banking system.
2. Convert to NZD (avoid FX slipups—dealers can lock rates).
3. Invest in compliant assets:
   • NZ government bonds
   • Equity in NZ firms (public or private)
   • Managed funds (FMA-regulated)
   • Some philanthropic investments (with pre-approval)

Roadblock #3: Non-compliant investments. A friend’s client sunk NZD 2 million into an Aussie-listed biotech—sounds innovative, but fails the “New Zealand” test. INZ ordered re-investment within 30 days.

Step 7: Final Resident Visa Grant

Upload proof of investment statements and transfer receipts to INZ. Visa labels (or eVisas) are then issued for the whole family.

Step 8: Post-Landing Obligations

• Maintain investment for 4 years (Investor 2) or 3 years (Investor 1).
• Track physical presence days (use Air NZ Airpoints history + passport stamps).
• File annual investment reports online.

After obligations are met, you may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa—no more travel conditions.

5. Practical Tips & Anecdotes

1. Use multiple transfer tranches: Large single wires over USD 1 million trigger AML audits & delay. Break into 500 k lots; book forward FX contracts to hedge.

2. School enrolments ease settlement days: I see clients hit the 88-day Investor 1 presence rule by enrolling children mid-term—guarantees at least one parent stays put.

3. Leverage NZ’s tax neutrality: New Zealand taxes worldwide income only if you become a tax resident (present 183 days/yr). Many investors structure time to avoid that, as covered in our Tax optimisation guide.

4. Don’t DIY valuations: I once had an applicant provide a handwritten note valuing family farmland at NZD 2.9 m. CO laughed (politely), then rejected the asset. Use accredited valuers.

5. Mind the quota clock: Investor 2’s 400-slot cap restarts each July. Lodging an EOI in May can mean you wait 14 months if the cap is already full.

6. Compare with other jurisdictions: Considering Australia’s 188B? Read our deep dive on the Australia Skilled Independent 189 to see why New Zealand’s physical presence is lighter. Fancy Southeast Asia? Our take on Malaysia vs Vietnam for digital nomads highlights lifestyle cost differences once your NZ obligations are done.

7. Bank account roulette: Some NZ banks refuse new non-resident investor accounts unless you appear in person. Schedule a 3-day trip once borders reopen to open a multi-currency account—saves weeks.

8. Backup exit strategy: If the family decides Kiwi life isn’t for them, you can sell the investment post-obligation and retain PR. Rental income from an NZ residential property is often the final anchor.

FAQs

Can I invest in my own startup?
Yes, if the company is New Zealand-incorporated, FMA-compliant and the investment is at arm’s length. But INZ may scrutinise valuation and sustainability.

What happens if my portfolio drops below the threshold?
Temporary dips are okay, but you must top up if it remains below for more than three months.

Can dependent children over 24 join?
No. 24 is the hard cut-off. They’ll need their own visa (work, student, etc.).

Is residence automatic once I invest?
No. You receive a resident visa with travel conditions. Break any obligations and you can lose it.

How does COVID-19 affect processing?
Virtual interviews are now standard, but offshore biometrics can be tricky. Build in 2-3 extra months.

The BorderPilot Angle

BorderPilot scrapes INZ policy updates daily and maps them against your personal data points (age, assets, English proficiency). Rather than wrestling with spreadsheets, you’ll see:

• Real-time Investor 2 points vs cut-off
• Settlement day countdowns with calendar sync
• Alerts when your portfolio drifts below thresholds

I feed my own clients’ anonymised timelines into the platform to benchmark performance. The result? Fewer sleepless nights and—true story—two extra fishing weekends for me last summer.

Ready to Chart Your New Zealand Journey?

If pristine beaches, world-class Pinot Noir and a stable democracy sound appealing, the investor-class route might be your golden ticket. But success hinges on flawless documentation, timing and a pinch of Kiwi pragmatism.

Create your free relocation plan with BorderPilot today, and let our data engine (and my legal brain) map your fastest path to a New Zealand resident visa—minus the guesswork.