The government actively seeks to attract successful entrepreneurs, business people and investors who are willing to make investments into the New Zealand economy. There are two categories to apply under, each with different levels of investment and complexity.
Contact our specialist Investor team for a free no-obligation assessment to establish if you will qualify under Investor.
The applicant must:
On success, must spend at least 44 days in New Zealand in years 2 and 3 of the investment period or in certain cases spread 88 days over the entire 3-year investment term.
*Governed by a "quota"
The applicant must:
On success, Investor Two applicants must spend at least 146 days in NZ in each of years 2, 3 and 4 of the investment period or, in certain cases, spread 438 days over the entire 4-year investment term. Application is a two-step process. A preliminary "Expression of Interest" (EOI) by the applicant is followed by an "Invitation to Apply" (ITA) from Immigration New Zealand to lodge a residence application.
Note 1. $3 million is a minimum. Whether the "Expression of Interest" (EOI) leads to an "Invitation to Apply" (ITA) will depend on how many applicants, and at what investment level, are competing for a place in the limited "quota" at that time.
Note 2. Be careful of advisers or lawyers that tell you about the $3 million but fail to advise you on how much is really needed in order to guarantee success (depending on the quota from time to time).
The Malcolm Pacific Immigration team of advisers and experts take away the stress and worry of navigating the complex world of New Zealand Investor policy, visas and immigration. Contact our specialist Investor Visa Team for answers to your questions and find out if you are eligible to apply.
There is a wide range of options available in the New Zealand economy to meet the specific investment obligations of the Investor Visa.
At a minimum, your New Zealand investment must:
*Personal use includes investments in personal residence, car, boat etc.
Funds may be invested in one or more of the following:
**Special conditions apply. Take advice.
The intention is clear: persons of good health and character who are prepared to invest in NZ are to be encouraged. The normal obligation to reside in New Zealand for at least 184 days in each of 2 consecutive years in order to achieve Permanent Resident status is relaxed, as are English language requirements. In the case of Investor Plus, there is no English requirement at all.
The New Zealand Government will want to know that you made your money legally, that it is fully tax-paid and that you brought it into New Zealand through the official banking system. There will also be a few simple limitations on how you can invest it.
The purpose of these restrictions is to ensure that New Zealand Immigration policy is not associated with money laundering or tax evasion. Despite the apparent simplicity of that objective, you will need skilled help to make the procedures user-friendly.
Investor policies have a very high failure rate. This high failure rate is despite many applicants having the assistance of licensed advisers or lawyers.
Failure usually relates to an inability to prove claims made in the Expression of Interest or residence application, particularly proof that the funds being offered for investment in New Zealand were lawfully earned (including tax paid) in the first place.
These failed applicants are not all bad people! The problem is with advisers and lawyers who impress their clients and gain their trust but do not have the skills to understand or manage this very specialized area of policy.
Malcolm Pacific Immigration has one of the most skilled Investor Visa teams in the business. Our Investor Visa team regularly travels overseas with major New Zealand banks, investment advisers, tax experts and New Zealand Government officials to meet with and advise high net worth individuals planning on moving to New Zealand.
Contact our specialist Investor Visa Team for answers to your questions and find out if you are eligible to apply.
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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.
The work visa categories set to close are:
*Excludes high-risk countries.
*Excludes high-risk countries.
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.
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.
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:
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:
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:
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
From 1 November 2021
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.
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.
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.
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 7 October 2019
From 24 February 2020