There are two categories: Investor Plus (Investor 1 Category), and Investor (Investor 2 Category). Compare the basic criteria below
| Key requirements | Investor Plus (Category 1) | Investor (Category 2) |
| Maximum age | No requirement | 65 or younger |
| Business experience | No requirement | Minimum of three years |
| Investment funds | NZ$10 million invested in New Zealand for three years | NZ$1.5 million invested in New Zealand for four years |
| Settlement funds | No requirement | NZ$1 million (transfer not required) |
| Principal applicant’s English language | No requirement | - an English speaking background, or |
| - an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test report with an overall band score of three or more, or | ||
| - a competent user of English | ||
| Family member’s English language | No requirement | Same as principal applicant or pre-purchase ESOL tuition |
| Minimum time in New Zealand | 73 days in New Zealand in each of the last two years of the three-year investment period. | 146 days in New Zealand in each of the last three years of the four-year investment period. |
| Health and character | Applicants under both categories must meet health and character requirements. | |
If you want to invest at least NZ$10 million in New Zealand, and you would like to apply for New Zealand residence, the Investor Plus category could be the best option for you.
Everyone included in your residence application will have to meet our health and character requirements. During the application process you will need to provide verifiable evidence that you meet the Investor Plus criteria summarised below.
Investment funds and/or assets
The funds and/or assets you nominate in your residence application must be equivalent to at least NZ$10 million. You will have to provide evidence to show that these funds and/or assets:
When we have processed your application and given you approval in principle you will need to provide verifiable documents to show that the funds you transfer to New Zealand came from the funds and/or assets that you nominated. You will need to invest a minimum of NZ$10 million in acceptable investments in New Zealand.
You cannot nominate investment funds or assets you intend to bring to New Zealand for your personal use – for example a personal residence, car, or boat.
If you want to invest at least NZ$1.5 million in New Zealand, and you would like to apply for New Zealand residence, the Investor Category could be an option for you.
Under this category, the first step is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, showing your eligibility for points under the various criteria for this category. A maximum of 300 residence applications per year can be approved under the Investor Category. Immigration New Zealand makes a fortnightly selection from the pool of EOIs, selecting those applicants with the highest points totals.
Everyone included in your residence application will have to meet our health, character, and English language requirements.
You (the principal applicant) must be aged 65 or younger, and have at least three years’ business experience, as well as meeting the Investor criteria summarised below.
Investment and settlement funds and/or assets
The investment funds and/or assets you nominate must be equivalent to at least NZ$1.5 million, though you may nominate more, depending on the points claimed in your EOI. In addition, you need to own settlement funds and/or assets of at least NZ$1 million. In your residence application, you will need to provide evidence showing that your investment and settlement funds and/or assets are owned by you or jointly by you and your partner and/or dependent children.
You will also need to be able to provide evidence showing that your intended investment funds:
Please refer to New Zealand Fiance information for further details.