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If you’ve got capital and business experience, then making an investment may be the best way for you family to make the big move to New Zealand.

New Zealand might be a small country, but it offers a surprisingly large range of investment opportunities. The Migrant Investment Category is specifically designed to attract experienced business people willing to embrace those opportunities and make a significant contribution to the country’s economy.

Under this category, applicants making a financial capital investment in local New Zealand firms and government (and meeting certain criteria) are entitled to resident visas for themselves and their families.

The Migrant Investment Category provides applicants with two choices. The first, the Investor 1 Category, requires applicants to invest NZ$10 million in New Zealand for a period of three years. The second, the Investor 2 Category, requires applicants to invest a minimum of NZ$3 million in New Zealand for a period of four years.

How does it work?

In addition to the different levels of investment, each of these two sub-categories also requires applicants to meet different criteria. The Investor 1 Category has less requirements overall (for example, applicants don’t have to sit English tests or provide evidence for any business experience). But the Investor 2 Category is still more popular thanks to its lower minimum level of investment.

In the Investor 2 Category, Immigration NZ uses a points-based system to assess applicants’ eligibility. First, applicants complete an Expression of Interest (EOI). This allows them to provide details about their identity, family, business experience, English language ability, assets and investment funds - plus the total points they could score based on their personal details.

Then, around once a fortnight, Immigration NZ selects a number of EOIs with the highest points and issues the chosen applicants with an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for resident visas under the Investor 2 Category.

How has it changed?

The Investor 2 Category has been heavily promoted since its launch in 2009 and its popularity has grown accordingly.

In its first year, only 10 applications were approved, but between 2016 and 2017 the category reached its maximum quota of 400 approved applications. Faced with such high demand, in June 2017 Immigration NZ increased the required minimum investment from the original NZ $1.5 million to the current level of NZ $3 million.

Although this caused the number of approved applications to drop down to 146 between 2017 and 2018, the Investor 2 Category remains the most popular option for business migrants to New Zealand. From the date of its launch until 2017, around 1,400 families have successfully obtained resident visas under this category.

Take a look at the Investor 2 Category requirements below.

Requirements:

Immigrating to any new country is a huge step, but it’s so much easier to take that step when you understand the options available to you. If you’re still unsure which migrant category would be your best option, or if you’re simply interested in learning more, then visit New Zealand Immigration , get in touch with one of our team by filling in the form below, or contact Joy Yan at joy@k3.co.nz.