Active Investor Plus Visa — Balanced Category

Three types of bonds qualify. First, New Zealand Government bonds — sovereign debt issued by the NZ Debt Management Office, denominated in NZD, with maturities ranging from short-term treasury bills to 20+ year inflation-indexed bonds. Second, local government bonds issued by territorial authorities and regional councils such as Auckland Council. Third, corporate bonds issued by New Zealand-registered companies — these must be investment-grade and NZD-denominated. International bonds, offshore government debt, and bonds denominated in foreign currencies do not qualify, even if the issuer has NZ operations. We work with NZ-based bond brokers to structure qualifying portfolios during your engagement.

Yes, and most Balanced applicants do exactly that. There is no mandated allocation ratio — you can invest the full NZ$10 million in bonds, the full amount in growth assets, or any blend. The most common split we see is approximately 60-70% bonds and 30-40% growth assets. Some clients prefer an 80/20 bond-heavy allocation for maximum capital preservation. Others use a 50/50 split to capture more upside from the venture capital allocation while maintaining a bond floor. We model different scenarios during your private consultation based on your investment objectives and yield expectations.

It often is, for two reasons. First, there is no age limit on the Balanced category (or Growth), unlike the Business Investor visa which caps at 55. Second, older investors typically have lower risk tolerance and prefer capital preservation over growth — which is precisely what the bond allocation provides. We regularly assist clients in their 60s and 70s through the Balanced pathway. The 5-year investment horizon also works well for retirement-stage investors who want to establish New Zealand residency as a long-term lifestyle and succession planning decision rather than a short-term capital deployment.

The higher presence requirement reflects the longer investment period and the government's view that Balanced investors, deploying more conservative capital, should demonstrate a stronger personal connection to New Zealand. At 105 days over 60 months, it works out to about 21 days per year — the same annual rate as the Growth category. Most clients structure this as three weeks each year spent between Auckland, Queenstown, or Wellington. The days do not need to be consecutive. Many of our Balanced clients already visit New Zealand regularly for personal reasons and find the 105-day requirement straightforward to satisfy.

Coupon payments (interest) from your bond holdings are yours to keep and do not need to be reinvested to maintain compliance. The NZ$10 million minimum refers to the principal amount invested at the outset. As long as your principal remains deployed in qualifying instruments for the full 60-month period, you are compliant. Income generated — whether from bond coupons, fund distributions, or business dividends — can be withdrawn and used at your discretion. This makes the Balanced category genuinely income-generating during the hold period, unlike many golden visa programmes where capital is locked away without returns.