Launch Alert: New Zealand's Business Investor Visa (NZD $1M/$2M Options)

New Zealand has launched a significant new immigration opportunity: the Business Investor Work Visa. This visa, designed for experienced business professionals, provides a direct and structured pathway to permanent residence by supporting investment in established New Zealand businesses.

Applications are scheduled to open on November 24, 2025. This is the moment for qualified investors to begin preparing their applications.

Key Features of the Visa

The Business Investor Work Visa offers an opportunity for you to live, work, and operate a business in New Zealand for up to four years, and allows you to include your partner and dependent children in the application.

It presents two distinct investment options for residence:

Investment Amount	Pathway to Residence	Work Visa Duration
NZD $1 Million	Standard 3-year work-to-residence pathway	Up to 4 years
NZD $2 Million	Fast-track pathway to residence after 12 months	Up to 4 years

Business Investor Work Visa Eligibility

This visa provides two investment pathways to residence, but the core eligibility requirements for all applicants remain the same. To qualify for this exciting opportunity, applicants must meet a comprehensive set of criteria:

• invest in a business that has been operating for at least 5 years

• meet the minimum investment amount of either NZD $1 million or NZD $2 million

• show they have at least NZD $500,000 in reserve funds to support themselves and their family

• demonstrate business experience, such as owning a business with at least 5 full-time employees or generating NZD $1 million in annual revenue

• be 55 years or younger

• meet English language requirements, and

• pass health and character checks.

Some types of businesses are not eligible for investment under this visa. These include:

• convenience stores

• discount shops

• drop-shipping operations

• fast food outlets

• gambling

• tobacco-related businesses, including vaping

• adult entertainment

• home-based businesses

• franchised businesses

• immigration advisory services.

Businesses Not Eligible for Investment

The New Zealand government has defined certain business types that are not eligible under this visa, focusing the investment on strategic sectors. Ineligible categories include:

• Convenience stores and discount shops

• Drop-shipping operations

• Fast food outlets

• Gambling, tobacco-related businesses (including vaping)

• Adult entertainment

• Home-based businesses

• Franchised businesses

• Immigration advisory services

The Pathway to Residence (Business Investor Resident Visa)

For applicants choosing the NZD $1 million investment, the pathway to obtaining permanent residence is achieved after successfully running the business for three years.

To transition from the Work Visa to the Business Investor Resident Visa, you must demonstrate that you have:

• Been actively involved in running the business in New Zealand.

• Maintained the same level of ownership as required for the initial work visa.

• Maintained at least 5 full-time equivalent jobs in the business.

• Created and maintained at least one new full-time job for a New Zealand citizen or resident for a minimum of 12 months.

• Maintained the business's solvency.

• Met the time-in-New Zealand requirement: 184 days in each of the three preceding years.

• Met ongoing health and character requirements.

  
  

Are you ready to invest in New Zealand and secure your resident status?

The Business Investor Work Visa offers a clear and defined route to residence. Contact our expert team today for a comprehensive assessment of your business experience and eligibility, and to begin preparing your application for the November 24th opening.