UGLOBAL IMMIGRATION MAGAZINE
82
“ New Zealand provides a
permanent resident visa
that has no expiration
and, unlike Australia and
many other countries, no
ongoing requirements. ”
education fees, New Zealand provides a permanent resident
visa that has no expiration and, unlike Australia and many
other countries, no ongoing requirements. For many, this
is thought of as de-facto citizenship, as it gives a lifelong
access right to another country.
TYPES OF INVESTOR VISAS
The investor program is divided into two visas: investor 1 and
investor 2. A visa application is made by a principal applicant,
including a spouse and children. Adult children can be included
up to age 24, subject to dependency requirements, and the
age is measured at the time of the visa application. Again, New
Zealand is more applicant-friendly compared to most other
countries. For example, Australia limits a dependent child to a
maximum age of 22 and the age is assessed at both the time
of application and the time of the visa decision.
I nve s to r s a r e a l l owe d u p to 2 4 m o n t h s to m ove
investment funds into New Zealand and are only required
to do so once other eligibility requirements have been
assessed and approved. This compares favorably
to programs like the U.S. EB -5, which requires the
investment be made before the visa requirements are
assessed, and Australia, where applicants are typically
requested to move investment funds within 70 days.
That can necessitate urgent liquidation of overseas
investments without sufficient time for financial and tax
planning and to consider market opportunities.
The investor 1 visa requires an investment of $10 million
New Zealand dollars for a period of three years, with only
88 days of stay required in New Zealand. There are no age,
English language or experience requirements for this visa.
The investor 2 visa requires an investment of at least $3
million for a period of four years, during which time the
principal applicant must spend at least 438 days in New
Zealand (approximately 30 percent of the time). Other
requirements for the principal applicant include being 65
or younger, demonstrating a very basic level of English, and
having at least three years of business or management
experience. The investment amount can be reduced to
$2.5 million by choosing to invest at least 50 percent of the
investment funds in “growth investments.” These include, but
are not limited to, residential real estate and managed funds.