In a bold move to attract serious global investors, New Zealand revamped its Active Investor Plus Visa in June 2025, offering streamlined rules, broader investment options, and a faster path to residence.
If you’ve been exploring global investor visas, this might just be your smartest gateway to investing, living, and growing in one of the world’s most stable and innovation-driven economies.
What’s New in the Active Investor Plus Visa?
New Zealand’s immigration authority has simplified the entire investor visa process, now offering two clear categories tailored to different investor profiles:
1# Growth Category
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- Minimum Investment: NZD $5 million
- Term: 3 years
- Stay in NZ: Only 21 days over the full investment term
- Ideal for: Investors wanting low physical presence and high growth returns.
2# Balanced Category
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- Minimum Investment: NZD $10 million
- Term: 5 years
- Stay in NZ: 105 days, but can be reduced if you invest more (as little as 63 days with NZD $13M).
Bonus: Investors can switch once between categories mid-process, offering flexibility rarely seen in investor visas.
Where You Can Invest – Now More Flexible
The visa now recognizes a broader range of investment types, including:
- Equities and managed funds
- New residential housing developments (must add to supply)
- Commercial or industrial redevelopment projects
- Bonds (for Balanced category)
- Philanthropy (still accepted)
⚠️ Not allowed: House-and-land packages or speculative off-plan purchases.
You can also invest through a 100% New Zealand-owned company, either personally or jointly with your partner or children listed in your visa application.
⏱️ Faster Investment Deadlines = Faster Results
Once your visa is approved, you’ve got just 6 months to transfer and invest your funds, keeping things efficient and goal-driven. If you face genuine delays, a one-time 6-month extension is possible—but speed is the name of the game.
To make sure your money doesn’t sit idle, the new on-call investment rule allows only 25% of your funds to be held in bank accounts or term deposits, while the remaining 75% must be actively invested in listed equities or bonds—ensuring your capital keeps working for you. And here’s the cherry on top: no more English language test! That’s right—language barriers have been removed for New Zealand active investor plus visa program, so you can let your investment do all the talking.
Whereas, holders of investor active plus visa can now also bring dependents, including newborn children to New Zealand that will easily qualify for residence permit. After 2 years, they can be included in your permanent residency application.
Why Choose New Zealand Over Other Investor Visas?
Let’s compare some of the world’s top investor visa options so you can see how NZ’s program stacks up:
| Country | Min. Investment | Stay Requirement | Processing Time | Key Advantages | Language Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | NZD $5M–$10M | 21–105 days (reducible) | Fast if complete | Broad asset classes, flexible stay, family-friendly | ❌ No |
| Australia | AUD $5M (SIV) | 40 days/year for 4 years | 6–12 months | Path to PR, but higher time commitment | ✅ Yes |
| Portugal | €250K–€500K | 7 days/year | 12–18 months | EU access, minimal stay requirement | ❌ No |
| Canada (Quebec) | CAD $2M | Must live in Quebec | 24–36 months | PR pathway, but French required | ✅ Yes (French) |
| UK Tier 1 | Closed in 2022 | — | — | Not available anymore | — |
| Singapore | SGD $2.5M | Must relocate | 6–9 months | Strong economy, high residency requirements | ✅ Yes |
Final Thoughts: Is This the Best Time to Invest in New Zealand?
Absolutely. With the 2025 overhaul, New Zealand now offers one of the most efficient, flexible, and secure investor visa programs globally. Whether you want to diversify your assets, enter a stable economy, or enjoy a family-friendly relocation, NZ’s Active Investor Plus Visa is designed to work for you.
✅ Less red tape
✅ More investment options
✅ Real estate + equity flexibility
✅ No English test
✅ Short physical stay requirements.
Full Policy Change: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/investor-category-update-provides-attractive-investment-options/.
