The New Zealand government has established a new investor migrant visa category in order to draw experienced, high-value investors to participate in domestic industries.
The current Investor 1 and Investor 2 visa categories will be replaced by the new Active Investor Plus visa category. A minimum $5 million investment is required to qualify for New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus visa category, and only 50% of that amount can be put into listed stocks.
“New Zealand is home to a huge number of amazing companies that are succeeding on the international market. Updates to our investor visa settings are a critical component of our plan to draw high-value investors, according to Stuart Nash, minister of economic and regional development. “Our government has a goal to support these businesses as they develop into even more successful global brands,” he said.
On September 19, 2022, the new Active Investor Plus visa will become available. After July 27, 2022, applications for the Investor 1 and Investor 2 visas will no longer be considered. According to the government, Immigration New Zealand will continue to process all applications that are currently pending.
Read more: New Zealand to tour Pakistan twice in 2022-23
According to the minister, the new Active Investor Plus visa will take the place of the previous investment visa categories and will require immigrants to make investments in New Zealand companies.
According to minister, the goal of the new visa policy is to draw in more active investors who can sustainably boost the New Zealand economy.
The new Active Investor Plus visa will take the place of the previous investment visa categories, which, despite being successful in drawing in a sizable sum of money over the past ten years—over $12 billion—often led to passive investment in shares and bonds rather than direct investment in New Zealand businesses, according to the official.
“Applicants will be eligible for the new visa with a $5 million minimum investment and obtain the highest rating, which is a smaller minimum amount than those who chose more indirect investments. This is in addition to meeting other requirements. $15 million will be the minimum amount needed for indirect investments “he added.
The New Zealand government, according to the minister, is also “Increasing the investor’s versatility by enabling them to make investments over a three-year period and keep those assets until the conclusion of a fourth year. Over the course of the four-year investment term, investors must stay in New Zealand for a minimum of 117 days, or around one month per year. This period has been extended from the previous category’s 88 days in order to make sure that investors actively engage with local businesses to aid in their expansion.
