New Zealand Investor Visa Application Process

Individuals and their families who invest a certain amount in New Zealand can obtain an investor residence permit and then citizenship with a New Zealand investor visa. The New Zealand investor visa is also known as the New Zealand golden visa.

There are two separate New Zealand investor visa programs, depending on the amount of investment and the value of the investment. The New Zealand investor 1 visa allows individuals and their families to reside in New Zealand if they invest 10 million NZD for 3 years.

The New Zealand Investor 2 visa grants residency to experienced individuals and their families with at least NZ$3 million in current funds or assets.

What are the New Zealand Investor Visa Types?

New Zealand investor visa types are listed below.

New Zealand investor 1 visa: This is a visa type that requires an investment of 10 million NZD in New Zealand for 3 years.
New Zealand investor 2 visa: This is a visa type that requires an investment of 3 million NZD in New Zealand for 4 years, and people who will invest are directed to establish a business in New Zealand.

In New Zealand, there are different conditions for a visa granted for an investment of NZD 10 million and for an investment of NZD 3 million. Those wishing to invest NZD 3 million for a New Zealand investor 2 visa must meet more requirements than those wishing to obtain a New Zealand investor 1 visa. Investors wishing to obtain a New Zealand investor visa must never have engaged in commercial fraud or financial impropriety. Investments must be made in accordance with New Zealand law and the funds used for the investment must be proven to have been obtained through lawful means.

What are the New Zealand Investor 1 Visa Requirements?

New Zealand investor 1 visa requirements are listed below.

The applicant must prove his/her identity with 2 photographs taken within the last 6 months, the original or certified photocopy of the passport or ID, and the original or certified photocopy of the birth certificate.
The applicant must submit documentation of a chest X-ray and medical examination demonstrating that he or she is in good health.
The applicant must have a clean criminal record from his/her country of citizenship and from all countries where the applicant has lived for more than 12 months in the last 10 years.
The applicant must declare on the application form that they meet the requirements for the visa. The applicant's work must be in compliance with immigration, employment and tax laws, must not have been previously investigated for work-related reasons, must not have been convicted of a crime involving fraud, and must not have been involved in commercial fraud or financial impropriety.
The applicant's spouse and dependent children who will come to the country with them must also meet the visa requirements and the family relationship must be proven with documents such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate.
The applicant must have NZD 10 million to invest in New Zealand for 3 years and capital must be proven by bank statements, title deeds, property valuations, shares and business ownership documents.
The applicant must transfer the investment to New Zealand within 12 months of the application being accepted.
The capital that the applicant will invest must be obtained through legal means. The legality of the capital can be proven with tax returns, tax certificates, payrolls, commercial financial statements, business shares, dividends, bank documents, commercial dividends, donation documents, wills and documents proving inherited money.
The applicant must have a reasonable investment of NZD 10 million in New Zealand for at least 3 years.

What are the New Zealand Investor 2 Visa Requirements?

New Zealand investor 2 visa requirements are listed below.

The applicant must prove his/her identity; therefore, 2 photographs taken within the last 6 months, the original or certified photocopy of the passport or ID, and the original or certified photocopy of the birth certificate must be submitted.
The applicant must demonstrate that he/she is in good health with a chest X-ray and medical examination documentation.
The applicant must prove that there are no criminal records against him/her from his/her country of citizenship and from other countries where he/she has lived for more than 1 year in the last 10 years.
The applicant must declare on the application form that he/she meets the visa requirements. The applicant must not have engaged in commercial fraud or financial impropriety, must not have been investigated for business, must not have been convicted of fraud, and must conduct business in compliance with immigration, employment, and tax laws.
The applicant must prove his/her English language proficiency according to the required criteria.
The applicant and their spouse and dependent children must also meet the visa requirements and the relationship between the individuals must be proven with a marriage certificate or birth certificate.
The applicant's spouse and children aged 16 and over must prove their English language proficiency, with an IELTS score of 4 or above or a history of speaking English, as required for the visa.
The applicant must be 65 years of age or younger.
The applicant must have at least 3 years of work experience. The job in which the experience is gained must employ at least 5 people or generate at least 1 million NZD in annual income. The applicant must prove his/her experience and role with company documents, company financial and tax records, company shares, job descriptions, performance evaluations, personal tax returns, letters of employment or letters of reference.
The applicant must have transferred the investment to New Zealand no later than 12 months after the visa was granted.
The applicant must invest a minimum of NZ$3 million in New Zealand over 4 years and the capital required for investment must be proven through bank statements, title deeds, property valuations, shares and business ownership documents.
The applicant must prove that his/her capital was obtained through legal means with tax returns and certificates, payrolls, commercial financial statements, business shares, dividends, bank documents, donation documents, wills and inheritance documents.
The applicant must have a recognised investment in New Zealand for at least 4 years.

What Types of Investments Are Accepted for the New Zealand Golden Visa?

New Zealand accepts bonds, stocks, property or other types of investments such as angel investments or philanthropic investments for the golden visa. For the investor visa, the investment types in New Zealand must meet the required criteria.

The general conditions that investments must meet for a New Zealand golden visa include that the investment generates commercial income, the investments are made in New Zealand, legally and in New Zealand dollars, contribute to the New Zealand economy and are not for personal use.

Can I Get a Golden Visa by Buying a House in New Zealand?

No, you cannot get a Golden Visa by buying a house in New Zealand. For a New Zealand investor visa, the investment made must be in the construction of a new house that will generate income.

For the New Zealand investor visa, the housing investment to be made must be a new project, i.e. it must not be a renovation or extension of an existing residence. The housing investment must have the necessary approvals and permits and must provide commercial income. For the New Zealand investor visa housing investment; the construction project, contracts with subcontractors and necessary personnel, approvals from legal authorities, payment plan and timeline including the marketing part must be submitted. Permit or approval fees to be paid to the competent administrative authorities for the housing investment must be excluded from the capital. For the New Zealand investor visa, purchasing an existing residence for rental purposes is not included in the scope of investment.

How to Apply for a New Zealand Investor Visa?

New Zealand investor visa application processes may vary depending on the preferred investment period and amount. The investor 1 visa, which is granted for an investment of 10 million NZD over a 3-year period, and the investor 2 visa, which is granted for an investment of 3 million NZD over a 4-year period, require different application procedures. Unlike the New Zealand investor 1 visa application, a preliminary application is required for New Zealand investor 2 visa applications, and only investors whose preliminary applications are accepted can apply for a visa.

Once the New Zealand investor visa application is approved, investors must transfer the capital they have indicated to New Zealand within 12 months and then investors are granted a 3 or 4 year residence permit depending on the type of visa. At the end of the visa period, applicants who meet all the conditions are granted permanent residence. Before transferring money for the New Zealand investor visa, individuals must apply for a visitor or work visa if they want to go to New Zealand.

What is the New Zealand Investor 2 Resident Visa Pre-Application?

New Zealand Investor 2 Resident Visa pre-application is made because the visa is only granted to 400 investors per year; pre-applications are scored according to certain criteria and visa applications are accepted according to this score system.

For the New Zealand Investor 2 visa, investors must first make a preliminary application by filling out the Expression of Interest form coded INZ 1165. The form includes information on work experience, age, English language proficiency, the amount to be invested and whether a growth investment will be made, and each participant is given a certain number of points based on this information. Those who provide sufficient points in the preliminary application are granted the right to apply for an investor visa. The New Zealand Investor 2 Resident Visa preliminary application fee is 620 NZD.

What are the Required Documents for a New Zealand Investor Visa?

The documents required for a New Zealand investor visa are listed below.

New Zealand visa application form: The visa application form must be filled out with complete and accurate information and signed by the applicant.
Passport: Applicant must have a valid passport.
Photo: Two color photographs that meet the technical requirements and were taken within the last six months are required.
Birth certificate: The original or a certified photocopy of the birth certificate is required to prove the applicant's identity.
Health report: The applicant must submit a chest X-ray and medical examination documents showing that he/she is in good health.
Criminal record: The applicant's clean criminal record must be proven by records from the countries of which the applicant is a citizen and where the applicant has lived for more than 1 year in the last 10 years.
Investment transfer: The applicant must prove that capital of NZD 10 million for an investor 1 visa or NZD 3 million for an investor 2 visa has been transferred to New Zealand via bank transfer.
Documentation showing the source of investment: Tax returns or certificates, pay slips, business financial statements, shares, dividends, bank statements, business dividends, donation documents, wills and inheritance documents, and proof that the investment in New Zealand was obtained lawfully.
Proof of English language proficiency: Proof of English language proficiency is only required for Investor 2 Resident Visa applications.The applicant must provide documentation to prove English language proficiency as required by New Zealand.
Documents showing work experience: Documents showing work experience are only required for Investor 2 Resident Visa applications. The applicant must prove their work experience and past duties with documents from the company they work for, financial and tax records of the company they work for, company stocks, documents showing job descriptions, performance evaluations, personal tax returns, letters of employment or letters of reference.

How Much Is the Golden Visa Application Fee for New Zealand?

The golden visa application fee for New Zealand is NZD 4,960 for the Investor 1 Resident Visa, NZD 620 as a preliminary application fee for the Investor 2 Resident Visa and NZD 4,960 as a visa application fee if the preliminary application is accepted.

How Long Does a New Zealand Golden Visa Last?

New Zealand golden visa; investor 1 visa is granted for 3 years, investor 2 visa is granted for 4 years. At the end of the visa period, permanent residence permit can be obtained by meeting the necessary conditions.

Do Investors Have to Live in New Zealand?

Yes, investors must live in New Zealand.

Investors must reside in New Zealand for at least 44 days per year for 3 years on an investor 1 visa, or at least 146 days per year for 4 years on an investor 2 visa, or 483 days in total over a 4-year period.

Can I Get Citizenship with a New Zealand Investor Visa?

Obtaining New Zealand citizenship is possible with an investment visa.

With a New Zealand investor visa, you can apply for New Zealand citizenship on the condition that you live in New Zealand for at least 240 days each year, for a total of 1,350 days, for 5 years .

Can Family Members Be Included in the New Zealand Golden Visa Application?

Yes, family members can be included in the New Zealand Golden Visa application. The applicant's spouse and dependent children who are single, receive financial support from their family and have no children can be included in the New Zealand Golden Visa application. Family members included in the New Zealand Golden Visa must enter New Zealand within 12 months, otherwise a new visa application must be made.

In order to be able to take their family members, including their spouse and dependent children, with them, the New Zealand Golden Visa applicant must prove their family ties with documents such as marriage and birth certificates, prove the identities of their family members when necessary, and submit documents showing that they are in good health and have a clean criminal record.

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