The NZ Investor Visa was introduced by the New Zealand government to bring capital and people talent into the country with the aim to enhance economic growth. Investing in New Zealand can be a smart move for experienced business people looking to secure permanent residency in NZ. There are numerous benefits from becoming a NZ resident plus exciting investment opportunities from start-ups to established industries. You can choose to be an active or passive investor. Here’s what you need to know about the criteria for investing in NZ.
If you are interested in investing in NZ, there are currently two investor categories that you may be eligible to apply for: Investor 1 and Investor 2.
Investor 1 is a visa for those who can invest NZD $10 million or more over a three-year period. With this visa, you can apply for permanent residence in New Zealand and if successful, bring your family along with you.
Investor 2 is for those who can invest NZD $3 million or more over a four-year period. All applicants must first lodge an Expression of Interest to Immigration NZ to apply for residence. If successful, you will be invited to apply for residence and can include your family in your application. Applicants must also be under 66 years of age, be of good health and character, meet English language requirements and have at least 3 years of proven business experience.
In both categories proving the investment funds you intend to move to NZ have been lawfully earned is one of the key requirements. This trips up a lot of people and is one of the main reasons for an application being declined (there are plenty of other traps to watch out for).
To meet the requirements for an Investor Visa, you must meet the acceptable investment criteria. First and foremost, the New Zealand investment cannot be for the personal use of the investor, and must:
There are many ways to invest funds in New Zealand. Acceptable investments include:
Once you have received approval in principle, you’ll have 12 months to transfer nominated funds to New Zealand through the banking system. In some cases, you may be able to apply for an extension if you need more time for this. Alternately, you could apply for an NZ work visa, which will allow you to travel to New Zealand to sort out your investment during this time. Immigration NZ may also ask you to provide additional verifiable documents along with your passport. An experienced and reputable licensed immigration adviser based in NZ will be able to assist you with ensuring you have what you need.
However, the Investor Visa in NZ has a high failure rate, often due to immigration advisers or lawyers providing poor advice to their clients. That’s why it’s so important to speak with an investor team who have the right skills to manage this specialised area of policy – and that’s where Malcolm Pacific Immigration comes in. We will invest time right at the start to ensure you and your family are eligible before you apply.
If you are interested in investing in NZ and gaining permanent residency in New Zealand, get in touch with our specialist investor team to find out if you are eligible. Our investor team has regular contact with major NZ banks, investment advisers, NZ Government officials, and tax experts. As the market leader of the Investor Visa programme, Malcolm Pacific Immigration is the team to trust for your Investor Visa needs. Contact us today for any further questions about the complexities of the NZ immigration process.
Our highly experienced licensed Immigration team will take away the stress and worry of navigating the complicated world of New Zealand Immigration. All you need to do is get in touch. Our team is on standby, ready to help.
Our highly experienced licensed Immigration team will take away the stress and worry of navigating the complicated world of New Zealand Immigration. All you need to do is get in touch. Our employer team is on standby, ready to help.
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Today the government announced a pathway to residence for migrant workers who are living and working in New Zealand. Applications open on 1 December 2021 for the first wave who are eligible to apply. The second wave can apply from 1 March 2022. The deadline to lodge an application is 31 July 2022 or else they will miss out on this one off opportunity.
Today the government announced a pathway to residence for people living and working in New Zealand. Applications open on 1 December 2021 for the first wave eligible to apply. The second wave can apply from 1 March 2022. The deadline to lodge an application is 31 July 2022 or else you miss the boat.
The government has moved the introduction of the new employer accreditation process across to mid-2022. At the same time, the Minister of Immigration announced new work visa rules for migrant workers who are already in New Zealand and working full time.
The government has increased the median wage to $27 per hour from 19 July. Any Skilled Migrant residence application lodged after this date will need to include a skilled job offer that pays at least $27 per hour. For some lower-skilled occupations, the minimum pay rate increases to $40.50 per hour.
From 19 July 2021
From 30 June 2021
Employers of migrant workers must become accredited from 1 November 2021 before work visa applications can be processed. Most employers are not accredited. Those that are accredited will have to roll into the new system when it goes live in late September.
From mid-2020 (delayed)
Skilled occupation "Dairy Cattle Farmer" spilt into three occupations. New occupations are: "Dairy Farm Manager", "Assistant Dairy Farm Manager" and "Dairy Herd Manager". Each sit at different skill levels, therefore, the award of points will depend on pay rates, job tasks and other requirements.
From 15 February 2021
The government has deferred the fortnightly selection of Expressions of Interest from the Skilled Migrant pool for six months (to be reviewed in April 2021). Invitations to Apply for Residence remain suspended. The last selection from the Skilled Migrant pool took place on 18/03/2020.
From 7 October 2020
The government added four new occupations that are now regarded as skilled employment and may qualify for job offer points under the Skilled Migrant Category. These are:
Aged or disabled carer, Bicycle mechanic, Driller and Nursing Support worker.
From 27 July 2020
Anyone invited by Immigration NZ to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category where their invitation is dated between 1 November 2019 and 15 April 2020 (inclusive) has now been granted an additional six months to lodge their residence application.
From 27 May 2020
The government has deferred the fortnightly selection of Expressions of Interest from the Skilled Migrant pool. This means Invitations to Apply for Residence are also suspended. Malcolm Pacific Immigration does not anticipate selections to resume until after the general election held on 17 October 2020.
Immigration NZ is now prioritising Skilled Migrant Residence applications where the main (principal) applicant meets the criteria:
From 24 February 2020
From 7 October 2019
The government recently added more occupations that are now to be regarded as skilled employment and may qualify for job offer points under the Skilled Migrant Category. In order to qualify for points, the job must be paying at least the current median wage (or higher for certain occupations) at the time the residence application is lodged.
From 1 November 2021
From 1 November 2021 anyone who is not a NZ citizen must be fully vaccinated (unless exempt) before travelling to New Zealand. Fully vaccinated means your last dose of vaccine was given at least 14 days before travelling and it was an approved vaccine.
Applications for employer accreditation closed at the end of June 2021. Applications lodged before the closure date are still being processed. New applications for accreditation open on 9 May 2022. The process will be quite different to what employers have experienced in the past. Businesses will need to meet minimum standards.
Wednesday, 1 December is fast approaching and it is estimated that around 16,000 individuals and families can apply in the first wave for the 2021 Resident Visa opening next month. It is exciting for the thousands of people who have been waiting patiently to become residents that finally the finish line is in sight.
The first wave of applicants can apply from 1 December 2021. Around 16,000 applications are expected in this first wave. The second wave opens on 1 March 2022. In total, the government expects approximately 110,000 applications that will include about 165,000 people.
The second group of workers who can apply online for the 2021 Resident Visa that opens on 1 March 2022 are those who hold an eligible work visa and either meet "Settled", "Skilled" or "Scarce" as set out above. In total Immigration NZ estimate around 110,000 people will qualify to apply for this visa.
The first group of workers who can apply online for the 2021 Resident Visa that opens on 1 December 2021 are those that on 29/09/2021:
Is this the only requirement to qualify for residence? No. In addition to the eligible work visa criteria workers also need to be regarded as one of the following:
People who were lawfully in NZ (or in Australia when the travel bubble closed between April and July 2021) on 29/09/2021 need to meet the visa eligibility criteria:
The government has introduced a limited pathway to residence for people who are already living and working in New Zealand. Applications open on 1 December 2021 for the first wave of people eligible to apply. The second wave opens on 1 March 2022. The deadline to apply for the 2021 Resident Visa is 31 July 2022.
A small number of critical health workers (taking up jobs for six months or longer) or specialist workers (taking up jobs that are for longer than six months) who were granted border exemptions may also have eligibility for the 2021 Resident Visa. They will need to have arrived in NZ and lodge a 2021 Resident Visa application.
*Excludes high-risk countries.
*Excludes high-risk countries.
The work visa categories set to close are:
From September 2022 people holding job offers in a small number of occupations may apply for residence. Some occupations are a direct pathway to residence and others require a period of two years or longer before applying.
There are qualification and/or occupational registration requirements to meet. Establishing if an overseas qualification matches the NZ equivalent qualification before applying is paramount for success.