Business Investor Resident Visa
The Business Investor Resident Visa provides a pathway to New Zealand residence for experienced business people who have invested in and actively operated an established New Zealand business.
It is the residence stage of the Business Investor pathway and follows a period of operating a business while holding a Business Investor Work Visa.
There are two main routes to qualify: the Standard Pathway and the Fast-Track Pathway.
The Standard Pathway
Under the Standard Pathway, an investor must invest at least NZ$1 million in an acceptable established New Zealand business.
The investor can become eligible to apply for a Business Investor Resident Visa after successfully operating the business for at least three years.
This option requires less investment capital than the Fast-Track Pathway, but the investor must operate the business for a longer period before becoming eligible for residence.
The Fast-Track Pathway
The Fast-Track Pathway is available to investors who invest at least NZ$2 million in an acceptable established New Zealand business.
It can allow the investor to apply for residence after operating the business for at least 12 months.
However, obtaining residence after 12 months does not end the investor’s business obligations. Fast-Track investors must continue actively operating the business until they have completed the required three-year period.
Active involvement in the business
The Business Investor Resident Visa is designed for active business owners rather than passive investors.
Applicants must show that they have genuinely participated in operating their New Zealand business.
The business must generally be the business approved under the applicant’s Business Investor Work Visa, unless Immigration New Zealand has approved a permitted change.
Employment requirements
The business must meet the employment requirements applying to the Business Investor pathway.
This includes maintaining at least five full-time equivalent employees.
The investor must also create at least one new ongoing full-time equivalent position for a New Zealand citizen or resident.
The additional position must generally have been maintained for at least 12 months before the employment requirement for residence can be satisfied.
Time spent in New Zealand
The Business Investor pathway requires investors to make a genuine commitment to living and doing business in New Zealand.
Applicants must satisfy the applicable physical-presence requirements, which generally involve spending at least 184 days in New Zealand during each relevant year.
This reflects the hands-on nature of the visa and the expectation that the investor will personally participate in operating the business.
The business must remain financially sound
Simply purchasing a business is not enough to qualify for residence.
The applicant must demonstrate that the business continues to operate and remains solvent.
The business must also comply with relevant New Zealand laws, including employment, tax, immigration and other regulatory requirements.
Immigration New Zealand may require financial statements, tax records, employment records and other evidence showing that the business continues to satisfy the visa requirements.
Health and character requirements
Applicants must meet Immigration New Zealand’s health and character requirements.
The principal applicant must also continue to satisfy the requirements applying to business investors, including the fit and proper person requirements.
Including family members
A Business Investor Resident Visa application can include the applicant’s partner and dependent children, provided they meet the relevant immigration requirements.
This allows the Business Investor pathway to provide residence not only for the investor but also for their eligible immediate family.
What does the Resident Visa allow?
Once granted, the Business Investor Resident Visa allows the holder to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.
However, a Resident Visa is not the same as a Permanent Resident Visa.
A Resident Visa normally has travel conditions. These determine the period during which the holder can leave New Zealand and return as a resident.
Permanent Residence
After holding the Business Investor Resident Visa for the required period and satisfying its conditions, the investor may become eligible to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
A Permanent Resident Visa allows the holder to travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely.
For many investors, permanent residence is therefore the final immigration stage of the Business Investor pathway.
A business-based route to New Zealand residence
The Business Investor Resident Visa is designed for experienced business people who are prepared to make a substantial investment and take an active role in operating a New Zealand business.
The Standard Pathway requires an investment of at least NZ$1 million and generally allows an application for residence after three years.
The Fast-Track Pathway requires an investment of at least NZ$2 million and can allow an application for residence after 12 months, although the investor must continue operating the business for the required overall period. For investors who want to actively own and operate a business in New Zealand, the Business Investor Resident Visa provides the residence stage of a pathway that begins with business investment and hands-on commercial involvement.