Unlock Your Future: Fast-Track to New Zealand

On July 8, 2025, the New Zealand Immigration announced the application and approval data for the Active Investor Plus Visa following the new visa settings on April 1, 2025. As of 7 July 2025, INZ has received 214 applications under the new settings for 693 applicants, 47 in the Balanced Category (NZD 5 Million) and 167 in the Growth Category(NZD 10 million). 115 applications have been approved in principle, 21 under the Balanced Category and 94 under the  Growth Category.

Data source: Investor category :: Immigration New Zealand

From the data released, it can be seen that the applications choosing  Growth Category is far higher than those opting for Balanced Category. There are two main reasons for this: first, the investment amount for Growth Category is only NZD 5 million, which is half of the Balanced Categoryamount, meaning the capital commitment is lower; second,  Growth Category require only 3 years of investment with a total of 21 days of residency to qualify for permanent residency, while Balanced Category require a 5-year investment period with 105 days of residency to qualify for permanent residency. More applications choose Growth Category due to its faster pathway to permanent residency and lower residency requirements.

New Zealand Immigration has received 214 applications for the Active Investor Plus Visa (AIP) under the new settings. The applicants' nationalities are widely distributed, showing the strong global appeal of New Zealand’s investment immigration program. The United States leads with 95 applications, followed by Mainland China with 30, Hong Kong with 25, Germany with 18, Singapore with 8, and Taiwan with 7. The data suggests that New Zealand’s investment immigration program is not only favored by traditional western investors but also increasingly attracting attention from Asia investors. A total of 62 applications come from the Greater China region (Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), accounting for nearly 30% of the total, reflecting the high recognition from high-net-worth individuals in Asia for New Zealand’s investment environment, quality of life, and flexible immigration paths.

(Data source: Investor category :: Immigration New Zealand)

New Zealand’s investment immigration program has undergone several policy changes. The latest policy, announced on February 9, 2025, and officially opened for applications on April 1, 2025, has already received more than 200 applications in just three months, compared to only 115 applications between September 2022 and March 2025. This shows the success of New Zealand's significant policy reform in investment immigration.

A key highlight of the new policy is the removal of language proficiency requirements (the old AIP policy required a minimum IELTS score of 5), eliminating a major barrier for investors from non-English-speaking countries. This allows them to focus more on developing investment strategies and ensuring the compliance of their capital sources. In terms of investment requirements, the new AIP policy has been thoroughly optimized, introducing two investment categories: Growth Category and Balanced Category, offering investors more flexibility and diverse choices.

Growth Category:

The investment amount is at least NZD 5 million, with a minimum investment period of 3 years. This category includes two types of investments:

● Direct Investments, i.e., equity investment in New Zealand-based non-listed companies.

● Managed Funds, where investors invest in local managed funds.

  Both types of investments must be approved by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) to ensure the reliability of the projects.

Balanced Category:

The investment amount is at least NZD 10 million, with a minimum investment period of 5 years. This category follows a mixed investment model, including options such as:Government bonds

● Listed company stocks

● New property development projects

● Existing commercial or industrial property developments

● Charitable ventures

● Direct investments and managed funds, among others.

Now is the golden period to apply for New Zealand investment immigration. In addition to significantly reducing the background requirements for applicants, fully removing the language requirement, and providing more flexible investment options, the processing time is particularly fast. The average processing time currently published by the New Zealand Immigration is about 14 working days. As the number of applicants increases, the processing speed may slow down. Looking at the global traditional investment immigration countries have been undergoing policy changes and program suspensions. For example, Canada’s Quebec Investment Immigration in 2024 requires French B2 proficiency, the UK closed its £2 million investor visa program in 2022, and Australia’s 188B and 188C investment categories had been closed in May 2024. New Zealand’s investment immigration is one of the few remaining options among major countries, and applying early increases the chances of approval.

New Zealand investment immigration helps achieve dual national status in New Zealand and Australia!

The scarcity and functionality of New Zealand’s permanent resident status makes it a "golden choice" for global high-net-worth family identity planning. As one of the few "lifetime valid" permanent resident statuses, it offers long-term security with no visa renewal hassle, and no residency duration restrictions. Applicants can also include their spouse and children, who will enjoy free public education, healthcare subsidies, and other local welfare benefits. After meeting residency conditions, applicants can upgrade to New Zealand citizenship, gaining a passport that allows visa-free travel to 187 countries, providing advantages in terms of both identity stability and global mobility. New Zealand citizens can apply for an SCV (Special Category Visa) to live, work, and study indefinitely in Australia. Upon entry to Australia, they only need to present a valid New Zealand passport and complete the Incoming Passenger Card, and they will automatically receive an SCV visa. After meeting certain residency requirements, they may apply for Australian citizenship!

As an experienced immigration company in the investment field, New Zealand team of Globevisa ensures the quality of documents and provides a dedicated application channel. Our strong copywriter team offers VIP tailored services and ensures the timely acquisition of policy updates from the Immigration Department. We have successfully helpd nearly a thousand families settle down their new life in New Zealand consistently providing high-quality services in project consultation, program design, and follow-up support, demonstrating industry-leading professionalism. We are committed to safeguarding our clients' path to New Zealand immigration!