Once approved, Active Investor Plus grants a Resident Visa with rights to live, work and study in New Zealand. It does not automatically grant a Permanent Resident Visa.
New Zealand · Active Investor Plus
New Zealand as a home: which investment can support the plan?
Growth calls for at least NZ$5 million over three years in qualifying investments; Balanced requires at least NZ$10 million over five years and allows a wider asset mix. The choice turns on liquidity, time in New Zealand and the life your family actually wants there.
THE ROUTE AT A GLANCE
Understand the route before you commit.
A programme name says little about the rights you and your family will actually be able to use.
Growth requires at least NZ$5 million over 36 months in qualifying investments. Balanced requires at least NZ$10 million over 60 months and permits additional asset types. Check the current approval of any fund or asset before investing.
The Resident Visa generally permits work and study in New Zealand; regulated professions still require their own authorization.
A Permanent Resident Visa requires a separate application after the relevant investment and presence conditions are met. Citizenship has its own separate rules.
01 / STARTING POINTS
What could this route make possible for you?
A residence right is valuable when its effect fits your life, family or business purpose.
A place for the family
Plan arrival, schooling, care and possible work as one practical move.
Capital with the right horizon
Compare Growth and Balanced by eligible assets, risk, holding period and a possible exit.
A longer view without assumptions
Plan presence and evidence so a separate Permanent Resident Visa application can later be realistic.
02 / LEGAL EFFECT
What the status grants. And what remains separate.
Residence, work, family and tax are not compressed into one promise.
LEGAL INSTRUMENT
New Zealand · Active Investor Plus
Once approved, Active Investor Plus grants a Resident Visa with rights to live, work and study in New Zealand. It does not automatically grant a Permanent Resident Visa.
03 / BASIS AND CAPITALAdditional qualifying Growth investment can reduce Balanced's presence requirement. Confirm eligible assets and fund transfer under current rules.
What qualifies for this route.
Growth
At least NZ$5 million in eligible investments over 36 months; at least 21 days in New Zealand.
Balanced
At least NZ$10 million over 60 months; normally 105 days in New Zealand.
Afterward
A Permanent Resident Visa requires completed conditions and a separate application.
04 / LIFE BEHIND THE PERMIT
Residence alone does not settle daily life.
Who may join you, what you may do locally and how tax is affected are three distinct questions.
Family and daily life
A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger may be included. Partners must evidence their life together, and approved family members must meet their entry deadline.
Work and business
The Resident Visa generally permits work and study in New Zealand; regulated professions still require their own authorization.
Tax position
A residence permit does not determine tax residence on its own. Home, actual presence, activity and applicable treaties require separate review.
05 / MAINTENANCE AND OUTLOOK
Keeping the status is part of the decision.
A sound plan considers admission alongside presence, renewal and the longer outlook.
Presence
Growth requires at least 21 days within 36 months; Balanced normally requires 105 days within 60 months. Additional qualifying Growth investment can reduce the Balanced requirement under the official scale.
Renewal and duties
The qualifying investment and source of funds must remain documented; Immigration New Zealand requires evidence during and at the end of the investment period.
Later status
A Permanent Resident Visa requires a separate application after the relevant investment and presence conditions are met. Citizenship has its own separate rules.
06 / PROCESS AND COSTS
The next step begins before applying.
Set the family plan and risk profile, check source of funds and eligible assets, apply for the visa, transfer funds after approval in principle and keep evidence over 36 or 60 months.
Calculate the whole decision.
Where minimum amounts are stated, they are legal eligibility thresholds at the documented source date, not estimates of total cost. We review fees and other costs for the individual case before filing.
- Qualifying investment or economic basis
- Government fees and translations
- Legal and tax review
- Family, insurance and location
- Ongoing duties and renewal
- Potential exit or status change
07 / FIT AND LIMITS
When this route belongs on your shortlist.
A suitable permit serves a specific purpose. Where its rights or duties do not fit, comparison with another route begins.
The deciding question
Would you still choose this capital commitment if New Zealand remained an option rather than an immediate move?
Where this route stops
A low minimum-presence rule is no substitute for a realistic family and tax plan. Investments can be risky or illiquid, and later permanent status is not guaranteed.
08 / WHAT NBF EXAMINES
Decide on the investment and the life together.
Receive a Growth-versus-Balanced comparison of investment risk, commitment period, presence and family plans before funds move.
Investment
Check eligible assets, source of funds and liquidity in both categories.
Family and time
Build actual visits, schooling and the family's arrival into the plan.
Later status
Schedule evidence, conditions and the separate Permanent Resident Visa application.
09 / SOURCES AND REVIEW
The basis for the decision stays visible.
Programme brochures can explain routes. Responsible authorities and the current case determine their legal effect and conditions.
EDITORIAL VERSION · 3 OCTOBER 2026Sources and reviewView sources
The stated rules are grounded in the linked sources. Conditions, administrative practice and fit for your case are checked again before an individual recommendation.
Confirm each fund's eligibility, source of funds, family entry and any Balanced presence reduction against current INZ rules before applying.
THE NEXT DECISION
Which investment can support your New Zealand life?
Growth and Balanced commit capital for different periods and require different time in the country. Compare both against liquidity, family needs and your real schedule.
