New Zealand Investor Visa Program Changes: Growth and Balanced Options

New Zealand has recently overhauled its investor visa framework, replacing the previous Active Investor Plus program with a simplified two-track model that took effect in April 2025.

These changes are designed to attract higher-quality investments, streamline application requirements, and make the pathway to permanent residency clearer for global investors.

This article explains the recent updates to the New Zealand investor visa program, the new requirements, and what applicants need to know about costs, processing times, and long-term residency options.

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The information in this article is for general guidance only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or tax advice, and is not a recommendation or solicitation to invest. Some facts may have changed since the time of writing.

What were the 2025 New Zealand Investor Visa program changes?

New Zealand closed its long-standing Investor 1 and Investor 2 visa categories in 2022 and initially introduced the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa.

However, uptake of that program was limited, leading to another revision in April 2025. The government has now consolidated the framework into two clear tracks: Growth and Balanced.

• Growth track: Requires a minimum investment of NZD 5 million for three years with lighter presence requirements.
• Balanced track: Requires NZD 10 million for five years with a broader range of acceptable assets and stricter presence requirements.

Alongside these structural changes, the government removed the English-language test, streamlined compliance reporting, and shortened the transfer period for funds to six months (extendable to 12).

These revisions aim to simplify the system while expanding the scope of investments that qualify.

What is the difference between the old Active Investor Plus visa and the new investor tracks?

The previous Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa was intended to replace Investor 1 and 2 but proved too restrictive. It required a mix of high-risk direct investments and tightly defined managed funds, which limited flexibility and discouraged applicants.

The 2025 revision introduced two distinct tracks, Growth and Balanced, that offer clearer options: a smaller commitment with higher risk and lighter presence requirements (Growth), or a larger, more flexible investment with longer residence obligations (Balanced).

The update also removed the English-language requirement, broadened acceptable assets to include equities, bonds, and property, and simplified compliance and transfer rules.

These adjustments were made to make the visa program more accessible and attractive while still ensuring meaningful contributions to New Zealand’s economy.

New Zealand Investor Visa Requirements (Growth vs Balanced)

The new visa categories each have specific thresholds and residency obligations:

Growth track:

• Minimum investment: NZD 5 million
• Investment period: 3 years
• Physical presence: 21 days total over 3 years
• Investment types: Direct investment in New Zealand businesses and approved managed funds

Balanced track:

• Minimum investment: NZD 10 million
• Investment period: 5 years
• Physical presence: 105 days total over 5 years (reducible by investing extra in Growth-class assets)
• Investment types: Wider range including equities, bonds, philanthropy, and approved property development projects

Both categories require applicants to transfer and allocate funds within six months of receiving approval in principle, ensuring that capital is deployed promptly into the New Zealand economy.

What types of investments now qualify for residency in New Zealand?

Growth focuses on higher-risk, higher-engagement assets; Balanced allows a broader, more conservative mix.

INZ determines whether what you buy is acceptable at the time you invest, and the investment must remain acceptable for the full 36-month (Growth) or 60-month (Balanced) period. All investments must be in New Zealand, in NZD, and not for personal use.

Growth category:

• Direct investments in NZ businesses that have been approved as acceptable by Invest New Zealand.
• Managed funds that appear on the Acceptable Managed Fund list maintained by Invest New Zealand.

Balanced category:

• Direct investments and managed funds (as above), plus
• Listed equities, bonds, philanthropy, and property developments (new residential, commercial or industrial, or existing commercial/industrial). Balanced investors can also include Growth-category assets in their mix.

Before deploying capital, it is best to confirm that the managed fund appears on the current Acceptable Managed Fund list and/or any direct investment has an Invest New Zealand “acceptable investment” confirmation.

This avoids deploying into assets that won’t count toward your residency conditions. It is recommended to seek the services of a trusted expat financial advisor or immigration counselor before making an investment.

How to Get a New Zealand Investor Visa (Step-by-Step)

To get a New Zealand Investor Visa, you must choose an investment pathway, meet eligibility requirements, and follow Immigration New Zealand’s process. Here’s a step-by-step overview:

• Choose your track.
  Decide between Growth (NZD 5m / 36 months / 21 days in NZ) or Balanced (NZD 10m / 60 months / 105 days in NZ, with reductions if you add extra Growth-assets) based on risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and time-in-country capacity.
• Check eligibility and prepare evidence.
  You must be a fit and proper person, meet health and character requirements, and prove your funds were lawfully acquired. Prepare identity photos, medical/X-ray, police certificates (for all relevant countries), and detailed source-of-funds documentation (e.g., tax returns, sale contracts, bank statements). Family can be included (partner and dependent children up to 24) with relationship and dependency evidence. There is no English-language test under the updated settings.
• Apply online and pay fees.
  Submit the Resident Visa application and pay the fee (from an estimated NZD 27,470).
• Obtain Approval in Principle (AIP) and logistics.
  If AIP is granted, you have 6 months to transfer and invest your nominated funds. You may apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa to enter NZ to arrange transfers and investment execution. Transfers must be legal and transparent, and the funds must be the same as those nominated (or proceeds of those nominated assets).
• Deploy into acceptable investments.
  • Keep to the acceptable investments list for your chosen category (Growth or Balanced).
  • For Growth direct investments and managed funds, ensure they are approved by Invest New Zealand or listed on the Acceptable Managed Fund list before you commit capital. Investments must remain acceptable through the whole investment term (36 or 60 months).
• Observe ongoing obligations and presence days.
  • Provide evidence at set checkpoints (e.g., months 24 and 36/60) that your funds remained invested, complete INZ’s post-investment questionnaires, and meet the physical-presence rule: 21 days (Growth) or 105 days (Balanced).
  • For Balanced, you can reduce presence by 14 days per extra NZD 1m invested in Growth-category assets (up to 42 days), provided those extra funds were nominated pre-AIP and remain invested.
• Transition to Permanent Residence if desired.
  After meeting the investment and presence conditions, which is 3 years for Growth or 5 years for Balanced, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa for yourself and eligible family members.

What is the overall New Zealand Investor Visa Cost?

The cost of a New Zealand Investor Visa starts from NZD 27,470 in application fees plus a minimum investment of NZD 5 million (Growth) or NZD 10 million (Balanced).

• Application fees: Immigration New Zealand sets the base fee at around NZD 27,470 for the principal applicant. Additional costs may include medical examinations, police certificates, legal or migration adviser fees, and custody/transfer charges for funds.
• Investment thresholds:
  • Growth track: Minimum NZD 5 million invested for 36 months.
  • Balanced track: Minimum NZD 10 million invested for 60 months.
• Practical outlay: In reality, most applicants should budget above these minimums to account for custody fees, fund management charges, foreign exchange spreads, and possible OIO approval costs if property development is included.

The capital itself is not a cost in the sense of a government charge, but it must remain invested in acceptable assets for the full period, which locks up liquidity.

When combined with application fees and professional services, the real entry point is significantly higher than the headline thresholds.

What is the New Zealand Investor Visa Processing Time?

Overall, the pathway from initial application to permanent residency can be as short as three years under the Growth track, making New Zealand’s revised program one of the faster residency-by-investment options globally.

Processing for the updated investor visa has been streamlined compared with earlier versions. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) reports:

• Median approval in principle: Around 17 working days as of mid-2025, once all documents are in order.
• Transfer and investment period: After approval in principle, applicants have 6 months to transfer and deploy funds, extendable to 12 months if they can show reasonable progress.
• Investment verification checkpoints: Applicants must demonstrate continued compliance at specific intervals (24 months and at the end of the 36- or 60-month period).
• Permanent residence timeline:
  • Growth track: Eligible after 3 years if investment and presence requirements are met.
  • Balanced track: Eligible after 5 years under the same conditions.

How do these changes affect current Investor Visa holders?

• Investor 1 & 2: These categories remain closed to new applications (since 27 July 2022). Any applications lodged before closure continue under their original rules until completion.
• Active Investor Plus (AIP) lodged before 1 April 2025: INZ allowed some applicants to transition to the new settings; INZ now notes no further applicants are eligible to transition. If you did not transition, your application stays under the pre-April 2025 AIP rules (e.g., higher weighted threshold, no bonds/property, and an earlier 117-day physical-presence requirement over four years).

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