Investor 2 Resident Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Investor 2 Resident Visa
Status	Closed to new applicants
Closure date	28 July 2022
Replacement visa	Active Investor Plus Visa
Stay	Resident visa; four-year investment period
Cost	Country-specific; not displayed
Eligibility timing	Applications no longer accepted
Investment requirement	NZD $3 million for four years
Age	65 or younger
Business experience	At least three years
Work rights	Any employer, any occupation
Study	Study permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Two years; extendable two years
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family inclusion	Partner and dependent children 24 or younger
Family sponsorship	Not stated in the source
Visa record	Not stated in the source
Permanent residence	May apply after 24 months

---

Purpose and status

The Investor 2 Resident Visa was for business people investing at least NZD $3 million in New Zealand.

It closed to new applicants on 28 July 2022 and was replaced by the Active Investor Plus Visa on 19 September 2022.

Former eligibility requirements

Applicants had to:

• Be 65 or younger.
• Be a fit and proper person.
• Have at least 3 years’ recognised business experience.
• Have at least NZD $3 million to invest for at least 4 years.
• Transfer investment funds to New Zealand through the banking system.
• Show funds were earned or acquired lawfully.
• Meet English-language requirements.
• Meet health, character and identity requirements.

Recognised business experience had to be in a business with at least:

• 5 full-time employees, or
• NZD $1 million annual revenue.

Investment requirements

The nominated investment funds:

• Had to be at least NZD $3 million.
• Could not be borrowed or secured by a loan or bond.
• Had to be additional to settlement funds.
• Had to remain in acceptable New Zealand investments for 4 years.
• Could be transferred between acceptable investments.

Jointly owned investments could be counted:

• At full value if jointly owned with an included partner or dependent child.
• Only to the applicant’s ownership share if jointly owned with another person.

Gifted funds could be accepted if the gift was unconditional and lawful, and the original funds were lawfully earned or acquired.

After approval in principle, applicants had 12 months to transfer and invest funds. A further 6 months could be available where reasonable transfer and investment steps were shown before the deadline.

Chinese citizens had to meet Chinese currency exchange and transfer requirements.

Evidence requirements

Evidence was generally required only after an invitation to apply for residence.

Identity

Provide:

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

Additional identity documents applied to some nationalities and locations.

Health and character

Applicants had to provide:

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

Police certificates were required from:

• Every country of citizenship.
• Any country lived in for 12 months or more during the last 10 years.

Police certificates had to be less than 6 months old when applying. Non-English certificates required English translations.

Business experience

Possible evidence included:

• Business incorporation certificates.
• Financial accounts and tax records.
• Shareholder or ownership documents.
• Job descriptions and performance reviews.
• Personal tax returns.
• Employment references and service certificates.
• Strategic planning documents.

Applicants working fewer than 30 hours weekly also needed a weekly-hours schedule.

Funds and source of funds

Possible evidence included:

• Bank statements and certificates.
• Property title deeds and valuations.
• Share certificates.
• Business ownership documents.
• Tax returns, payslips and financial statements.
• Dividend evidence and sale receipts.
• Inheritance, probate or gift evidence.

Investment evidence

Documents from a trusted professional, such as a chartered accountant or solicitor, had to confirm:

• Applicant’s full name.
• Amount invested in NZD.
• Investment start date and type.
• Invested organisation names.
• Shares or bonds purchased.

English requirements

The principal applicant had to qualify for at least 1 point for English-language ability.

English test results had to be no more than 2 years old.

The source states that applicants awarded 1 point for English may need to complete 20 hours of English tuition at a New Zealand-registered school or tertiary provider. It also states that applicants with an IELTS overall score of 3 must complete 20 hours’ tuition within the four-year investment period.

Included partners and dependent children aged 16 or older had to meet an English standard, such as:

• IELTS overall band score of 4 or more.
• An English-speaking background.
• Evidence of competent English use.

If they did not meet the standard, English-language lessons could be purchased before visa grant.

Family provisions

Applicants could include:

• Their partner.
• Dependent children aged 24 or younger.

Applicants had to show genuine relationships and provide relationship evidence, such as marriage and birth certificates.

Included family members had to meet applicable identity, health, character and English requirements. Family members holding, or applying for, New Zealand temporary visas based on the applicant’s relationship had to be included in the residence application.

Rights

Visa holders could:

• Live in New Zealand.
• Work in any occupation for any employer.
• Study in New Zealand.
• Travel in and out of New Zealand during the first 2 years of the investment period.

Travel could be extended for another 2 years by applying for a variation of conditions after meeting first-period conditions.

Ongoing conditions and obligations

Maintain the investment

Visa holders had to keep nominated funds in acceptable New Zealand investments for 4 years.

Immigration New Zealand could request evidence at the end of the second and fourth years. Visa holders had 3 months to provide it.

Meet New Zealand presence requirements

Visa holders had to spend either:

• 146 days each year in New Zealand, or
• 438 days at any time during the four-year investment period, if at least NZD $750,000 was invested in growth investments.

Evidence could be requested near the end of the second and fourth years, with 3 months to respond.

Keep contact details current

Visa holders had to notify Immigration New Zealand of address or contact-detail changes during the four-year investment period.

Failure to confirm compliance could affect the right to remain in New Zealand.

Entry permission

On arrival, visa holders had to apply for entry permission by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. Entry permission could be refused if character requirements were no longer met, circumstances had changed, or requested biometric information was refused.

Keep the visa in a valid passport

Before travelling, the visa had to be in a valid passport. If the passport expired, the holder had to apply to transfer the visa using Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa (INZ 1023) and pay the transfer fee.

Permanent residence

After holding a Migrant Investment or Active Investor Plus Resident Visa for at least 24 months, a holder could apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

A Permanent Resident Visa allows indefinite travel in and out of New Zealand, provided it remains in a valid passport.

Where section 49 conditions applied, the principal applicant had to first meet those conditions and request their removal before applying for permanent residence.

A request to remove section 49 conditions required:

• A cover letter with current contact details.
• Copies of valid passports for everyone included.
• Evidence of meeting section 49 conditions.
• Proof of residential address during the required period.

There was no cost to remove section 49 conditions.