Active Investor Plus Visa — Growth Category

Yes, but only in property development — not passive property ownership. Since 9 June 2025, Growth category applicants can invest in new property developments conducted through a New Zealand company. This means funding the construction of new residential or commercial buildings. You cannot buy an existing house, apartment, or rental property and count it as a qualifying investment. The policy intent is to increase New Zealand's housing supply, not to allow offshore investors to acquire existing stock. If property development appeals to you, we can identify qualifying opportunities in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

No. The English language requirement was removed in April 2025 for both the Growth and Balanced categories of the Active Investor Plus visa. This change was part of a broader effort by the New Zealand government to make the NZ investor visa no English requirement a competitive advantage in the global golden visa market. You can complete the entire application in your native language with the support of certified translators. Note: the Business Investor Work Visa still requires English proficiency because it involves active business management in New Zealand.

The timeline has several stages. First, your application is processed — INZ currently averages about 31 working days (80% within 3 months). Once approved, you have 6 months to transfer NZ$5 million into your chosen investment vehicle. The 3-year investment period then begins. After completing the full 36 months of investment and accumulating 21 days of physical presence in New Zealand, you apply for NZ permanent residency. In practice, most clients receive permanent residency approximately 3.5 to 4 years after they first engage us. The Growth category is the fastest passive investment route to permanent residency New Zealand currently offers.

Immigration New Zealand requires that you invest the minimum NZ$5 million, but it does not require you to maintain that value throughout the 3-year period. If market conditions cause your investment to decline in value, your visa is not at risk — provided you made the full initial investment and have not withdrawn capital. You are investing in venture capital and growth-stage companies, which by nature carry volatility. INZ understands this. However, you cannot top up a partially invested amount later and claim compliance. The full NZ$5 million must be deployed at the outset. We recommend discussing risk tolerance thoroughly during your private consultation so we can match you with the appropriate fund.

Yes — once you become a New Zealand citizen. Under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, NZ citizens receive a Special Category Visa (subclass 444) on arrival in Australia, granting the right to live and work there indefinitely. This extends to your family members who also hold NZ citizenship. The typical timeline is approximately 5–8 years from your initial AIP investment: 3–5 years to complete your investment term and obtain permanent residency, then approximately 2–3 years to qualify for NZ citizenship. With Australia having closed its own Significant Investor Visa programme on 31 July 2024, the NZ AIP has become the primary investment migration pathway to both countries. Since July 2023, NZ citizens who have lived in Australia for 4+ years can also apply directly for Australian citizenship.

The Balanced category requires NZ$10 million (double the Growth minimum) and a 5-year investment period (versus 3 years). In exchange, Balanced opens access to lower-risk assets including NZ government bonds, local government bonds, corporate bonds, listed equities, and philanthropy — investments not available under Growth. Physical presence also increases to 105 days over 5 years. Most investors choose Growth because the capital requirement is lower and the timeline is shorter. Balanced suits conservative investors who prefer bond allocations and have the capital to commit. See our full comparison page for a side-by-side breakdown.