New Zealand Residence by Investment: the Active Investor Plus Visa

Not as the principal applicant. Section BN5 on English language requirements for Active Investor Plus was revoked on 1 April 2025. Documents in other languages are filed with English translations.

Growth means a smaller amount and term (NZD 5 million for 3 years, 21 days in the country), but only funds and companies accepted by Invest New Zealand, usually illiquid. Balanced means NZD 10 million for 5 years and 105 days in the country, but you can hold equities, bonds and property development. The choice depends on the risk and horizon your family is comfortable with.

No. Your own home is personal use and is not an acceptable investment. The Balanced category allows residential property development, but only new projects of more than one dwelling, run for commercial return, and neither you nor your relatives may live there.

Across the whole investment period: 21 days for Growth and 105 days for Balanced. In Balanced the requirement drops by 14 days for each extra NZD 1 million in Growth assets (excluding philanthropy), by up to 42 days — down to 63 days at NZD 13 million. The extra funds must be nominated before approval in principle.

It is the decision that you meet the requirements. After it you have 6 months to transfer and invest the funds, and up to 6 more on request if you show reasonable attempts. Meanwhile you can get a 12-month multiple-entry work visa. The resident visa is granted once the investment is evidenced.

INZ requires the transfer through the banking system — from your own account, a joint account with family members in the application, or via a solicitor, pension scheme or investment account in your name. From India, outward remittances run under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), which sets an annual limit per person, so for NZD 5–10 million we plan the remittance per family member well before the 6-month window opens.

Yes, if they are acceptable under the programme rules: the investment period can then start from the date your application is approved. Gifted funds that are, or ever were, in New Zealand cannot be included in your nominated funds.

The application fee starts at NZD 27,470; the exact amount depends on the country you apply from. Per Immigration New Zealand statistics, 80% of applications are approved in principle within 11 weeks. This is not a statutory timeline, and we will not promise a specific date.

If at the end of the investment period the conditions are not met — investments not maintained, too few days in the country or reports not filed — you may have to leave New Zealand. That is why we keep a calendar of conditions with you for the whole period.

Yes, once: from Balanced to Growth or the other way round, while the application is being assessed or in the first 6 months after approval in principle.

The Permanent Resident Visa after 36 months in Growth or 60 months in Balanced and lifting the conditions. Citizenship after 5 years living in New Zealand as a resident: at least 240 days in each year and 1,350 days over 5 years. With a 21-day programme requirement, citizenship means actually moving to New Zealand.

Children, yes — up to and including age 24: from 18 they must have no children of their own, from 21 they must be financially dependent on you, and all must be single. Parents cannot be included: they have the Parent Boost Visitor Visa for up to 5 years, with its own income or funds requirements and a sponsor who lives in New Zealand at least 184 days a year.

It does not. The threshold — NZD 5 million in Growth or NZD 10 million in Balanced — is set for the principal applicant and covers the whole family in the application. Family members provide evidence of the relationship and of the children's dependence, medicals and police certificates from age 17.

Yes. If the application is refused through the fault of our team or an error in building the case, we refund the company's service fee less a minimal retention for costs actually incurred. Refund terms, the payment schedule and the rules on retaining service costs are fixed in the contract before work begins. Before we start, we check your documents and risk history free of charge and tell you about any risks in advance.