Entrepreneur Resident Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Entrepreneur Resident Visa
Stay	Indefinite
Cost	From NZD $14,890
Processing	Data not available
Eligibility timing	Self-employed: 6 months or 2 years
Work rights	Live, work and study
Study	Permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple travel for 2 years
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Partner and dependent children 24 or younger
Visa record	Not stated in the source
Business ownership	At least 25% shareholding
Minimum investment	NZD $500,000 if under two years

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Purpose

This residence visa is for people who have established or purchased a New Zealand business and have been self-employed in it for at least 6 months.

It allows you to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely and continue operating your business.

Eligibility

You must:

• Be a fit and proper person.
• Be in good health and of good character.
• Speak and understand English.
• Have set up or purchased at least 25% of a New Zealand business.
• Have run that business for at least 6 months.
• Have a profitable business that complies with employment and immigration law.
• Have not received welfare benefits or assistance since receiving a Work Visa.
• Meet business-plan, investment and economic-growth requirements.

If you have been self-employed for less than 2 years, you must hold a current Entrepreneur Work Visa. Another current visa may be accepted if you have operated your business for at least 2 years, the visa permits self-employment, and you meet Entrepreneur Work Visa requirements.

Business requirements

Your business must:

• Have met or exceeded the goals in your business plan.
• Be trading profitably, or have potential to become profitable within 12 months.
• Earn enough to pay you at least New Zealand’s full-time minimum wage annually.
• Contribute to New Zealand’s economic growth.

Economic-growth contributions may include new or enhanced products, services, technology, skills, export markets, or improved business performance.

The business may also meet this requirement by creating:

• At least 1 full-time job for a New Zealander; or
• At least 3 full-time jobs if operated for less than 2 years.

Casual or contract roles are not accepted as evidence of new jobs.

Capital investment

You must have invested at least the capital stated in your business plan.

If you have operated the business for less than 2 years, you must generally invest at least NZD $500,000.

Excluded investments include:

• Passive or speculative investments.
• Personal-use items, including vehicles, boats or homes.
• Salary or wages paid to you or immediate family.
• Residential property, unless included in the business plan.

Immigration New Zealand may consider waiving the minimum investment requirement only where the business is in science, ICT or another high-value export sector and demonstrates high innovation or short-term growth prospects.

Employment and immigration compliance

Your business must comply with New Zealand employment and immigration law. Immigration New Zealand may request evidence that it:

• Pays at least minimum wage or contracted industry standards.
• Meets leave and holiday requirements.
• Provides a safe workplace.
• Employs only people entitled to work in New Zealand.

Your application cannot be approved if the business is listed as a non-compliant employer by the Labour Inspectorate.

Required evidence

Identity

Provide:

• Two acceptable head-and-shoulders photos.
• Original or certified passport or certificate of identity.
• Original or certified full birth certificate.

Additional documents may apply based on nationality or application location.

Health and character

You must provide:

• A medical examination and chest X-ray.
• Police certificates for applicants aged 17 or older.

Police certificates are required from countries where you are a citizen and countries where you stayed for 12 months or more during the last 10 years. They must be less than 6 months old when you apply.

English language

Provide one of the following:

• An acceptable English test result.
• Evidence of an English-speaking background.
• Evidence you are otherwise a competent English user.

English test results must be no more than 2 years old.

Business evidence

Evidence may include:

• Certificate of incorporation.
• Audited financial statements.
• GST and other tax records.
• Export documents.
• Employment agreements and wage records.
• Business premises purchase or lease documents.
• Equipment and supply invoices.
• Other documents showing business operations.

Family provisions

You may include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger in your application.

You must provide evidence of genuine family relationships, such as marriage and birth certificates. Included family members must meet applicable identity, health, character and English requirements.

If your partner or dependent children aged 16 or older do not speak English, you may buy English language lessons before a visa can be granted.

If your partner or dependent children have, or applied for, a New Zealand temporary visa based on their relationship with you, they must be included in your residence application.

Conditions after grant

If you have operated your business for less than 2 years, you must, for a total of 2 years including time on an Entrepreneur Work Visa:

• Continue working in your own business.
• Keep your nominated capital invested in the business.
• Continue employing people in the new jobs created.

If you cannot meet these conditions, you and your family may have to leave New Zealand.

You must provide Immigration New Zealand with your address and contact details and notify it of changes.

Travel

You may travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you wish for 2 years.

After 2 years, you need a variation of conditions or a Permanent Resident Visa to travel. If you are outside New Zealand when travel conditions expire, your visa also expires.

Your visa must be in a valid passport to travel. If your passport expires, apply to transfer the visa to a new passport using Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa (INZ 1023) and pay the transfer fee.

Arrival requirements

All travellers must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration:

• By air: from 24 hours before travel begins.
• By sea: from 24 hours before departure from the last overseas port.

You may be refused entry permission if you do not meet character requirements, your circumstances have changed, or you refuse biometric collection.

Cost and application

The visa costs from NZD $14,890. Processing-time data is not available.

Immigration New Zealand requires your country details before displaying relevant payment, submission and location information.