March 27, 2012 by nile

Investor

Changes were made fairly recently so that this category may appeal to North Americans with the amount of investment required.  New Zealand is considered stable, corruption free and a low regulation business environment and with the government ‘lowering the bar’, we believe this is an attractive visa category.

We can help with connections and links to business opportunities, particularly in the growth sectors.    Our goal is to enable North American investors to access New Zealand investment opportunities and negotiate the immigration process under the new investor categories.

We know that many migrants move to New Zealand primarily for lifestyle reasons but these 2 sub-categories have been re-worked in the last couple of years and now fit very well for North American candidates.    This is a brief overview:

Investor Plus (Investor 1) – for those investing NZ$10 million or more for 3 years

Pre-requisites:

  • NZ$10 million invested for a period of three years
  • No proof of business experience needed
  • Proof that the nominated investment funds have been lawfully earned or acquired
  • NZ$10 million invested for a period of three years
  • No upper age limit or English language requirement
  • The investment must be in Government or local body bonds, bonds issued by NZ firms listed on the NZ Debt Securities market, bonds issued by NZ firms with at least a BBB rating, or equity in NZ firms (including managed funds)
  • Health and character requirements need to be met
  • The investor needs to stay in New Zealand for a minimum period of 20 % for each of the last two years of the three year investment period.
  • An application for residence is submitted to Immigration New Zealand with supporting documentation, covering health, character, source of funds and identification of the New Zealand investment.
  • When approval in principle is made the investment funds must be transferred to New Zealand within 12 months (with a possible extension of a further 12 months) through the trading bank system and placed within an acceptable investment.
  • This is not a point based system, but an ‘apply and meet the minimum’ criteria

Investor 2 is for those investing a minimum of NZ$1.5 million for four years.

Applicants must spend at least 40% of their time in New Zealand (146 days) in each of the last three years of the four year investment period.

Pre-requisites:

  • An investment of NZ$1.5 million of ‘unencumbered’ funds in NZ for a period of four years in an acceptable NZ investment (Government or local body bonds, bonds issued by NZ firms listed on the NZ Debt Securities market, bonds issued by NZ firms with at least a BBB rating, equity in NZ firms (including managed funds).
  • ‘Settlement funds of an additional $1m must be available to the applicant but need not be transferred to NZ
  • Proof that the Investment funds have been lawfully earned or acquired (this includes inherited or donated)
  • All investments must be in New Zealand dollars and must come to New Zealand through the trading bank system
  • Upper age limit of 65
  • Health and character tests must be passed
  • Appropriate business experience (minimum 3 years) must be documented
  • English language competency
  • Investor 2 is a points based category with a ‘floating’ pass mark so applicants will not necessarily know when they submit their expression of interest if they qualify or not
  • Applicants must spend at least 40% of their time in New Zealand (146 days) in each of the last three years of the four year investment period

There are two stages to the application:

1)  Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)

An application form is submitted outlining why the applicant believes they qualify for residence under this category.    No hard evidence is required at this stage.    If Immigration NZ believes the claim is credible and can be verified, the candidate will be invited to apply for residence.     Applicants must meet entry requirements and reach a minimum score of 20 points to be in the Pool.

2)  Application for Residence

Immigration New Zealand issue an ‘Invitation to Apply for Residence’ and the applicant provides supporting documentation such as Medical Certificates, Police Clearance Certificates, Birth certificates and evidence of business background for scrutiny by Immigration New Zealand.    If these satisfy Immigration New Zealand they approve permanent residence (with conditions) subject to the transfer of funds through the trading bank system into a New Zealand bank account.    Residence will be granted on condition the investment is kept in New Zealand for four years.