What’s the new Investor Visa for investors who migrate to New Zealand?

Highlights of New Zealand’s New Investor Visa

• New Zealand has created a new visa for investors wanting to migrate to New Zealand and make an investment.
• This investor migrant visa opens an opportunity for potential investors to invest in New Zealand.
• Direct investment in New Zealand companies will be encouraged with this new visa.

A new opportunity has come up for investors to migrate to New Zealand and invest in companies in this country. The Government of New Zealand has created an investor migrant visa so that experienced, high-value investors from abroad can invest in the country’s domestic businesses.

Welcome to new Active Investor Plus visa

This new visa for international investors will be a replacement for the existing investor visa categories of Investor 1 and Investor 2. For eligibility to apply for this new visa, you must invest at least NZ$5 million in New Zealand’s domestic businesses. Only 50% of this amount will be available for investment in equities that are listed.

The Government of New Zealand acknowledges that the domestic businesses of the country contribute to earning a prestigious position in the global marketplace. Hence, it becomes necessary that foreign investments are directly sourced to nourish these businesses.

To achieve this the new Active Investor Plus visa allows high-value and highly potential investors to migrate to New Zealand and make investments locally in New Zealand.

The new Visa pathway for investors will open on September 19, 2022. After July 27, 2022, no applications for Investor 1 and Investor 2 visas will be accepted by New Zealand. Any application already under process will continue to be processed by New Zealand immigration.

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Why replace the old visa with the new investor visa?

In fact, the Investor 1 and Investor 2 visas have been successful visa categories. They have led to garnering investments from foreign investors to the tune of over $12 billion. However, those investments have been passive in nature. Money got invested in shares and bonds rather than as direct investments in companies in New Zealand.

Eligibility criteria for new Active Investor Plus visa

You can be eligible for the new visa you will have to make an investment of at least $5 million in New Zealand for active investments. It will limit the so-called passive investment to 50% of at least $15 million as investment.

Only 50% of the new investment will be allowed as passive investments in listed equities (shares). Investment in property and bonds won’t be considered passive investments.

Why investment options in New Zealand and Australia similar?

Both New Zealand and Australia are prosperous English-speaking nations. They both have multiple options for entrepreneurs and investors. In both countries, the investment visa categories are very selective and ask for large amounts of investment. Also, in both countries, opportunities for investment comes in two categories namely the investor visa and the entrepreneur visa.

The investor visa has always needed you to make a passive investment in the country. With the new investor visa in New Zealand, this will finally change to requiring direct investments.

For an entrepreneur visa, substantial entrepreneurial experience and a commitment to run a business successfully in the country is required.

If you are willing to migrate abroad, talk to Y-Axis, the leading immigration and career consultant in the UAE.

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