New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa: NZD 1 Million or NZD 2 Million Routes?

Verification date: 11 July 2026. Every amount, threshold and time limit below was checked against Immigration New Zealand’s official Business Investor Resident Visa page on that date.

Under New Zealand’s Business Investor Resident Visa, an applicant who invested at least NZD 1 million in an existing business may apply after 3 years, while an applicant who invested at least NZD 2 million may apply after 12 months. The NZD 2 million fast track advances only the application point: both routes require a current Business Investor Work Visa and at least 3 years of actively operating the same approved business before the residence conditions are met. At application, the business must employ at least 5 full-time-equivalent people and have maintained one additional ongoing full-time-equivalent position for a New Zealand citizen or resident for at least 12 months; the presence requirement is at least 184 days a year while holding the work visa and at least 184 days in each 12-month period while a fast-track applicant completes the 3-year requirement.

How do the NZD 1 million and NZD 2 million routes compare?

Requirement	Standard pathway	Fast-track pathway
Investment in an existing business	At least NZD 1 million	At least NZD 2 million
Value excluded from the investment	Property value and goods and services tax (GST)	Property value and goods and services tax (GST)
Period before applying	3 years	12 months
Position during that period	Self-employed and actively involved in running the business	Self-employed and actively involved in running the business
Visa required when applying	Current Business Investor Work Visa	Current Business Investor Work Visa
Business that must be operated	The business approved during the Business Investor Work Visa’s Establishment stage, or through a variation-of-conditions approval	The same type of approved business
Total operation required for the residence conditions	At least 3 years	Still at least 3 years, including further operation after the earlier application

The difference is therefore when the residence application may be submitted, not how long the applicant must ultimately operate the business. “Fast track” does not mean that Immigration New Zealand has promised a quicker processing time; the official material reviewed does not state a decision processing time.

What happens after applying through the NZD 2 million fast track?

An applicant who invests at least NZD 2 million and applies after 12 months must continue actively running the same business for a further 2 years. That operating time counts towards the minimum 3-year requirement.

Stage	Required action under the fast-track pathway
Before application	Hold a current Business Investor Work Visa and have been self-employed and actively involved in running the approved business for at least 12 months
Immediately after application	Continue actively running the same business
Remaining operating period	Continue for a further 2 years so that at least 3 years of operation are completed
Completion evidence	Provide evidence that the conditions have been met within 3 months after operating the business for 3 years
Inability to continue operating	The applicant and family may have to leave New Zealand if the business cannot continue being operated as required

If the current Business Investor Work Visa may expire while the residence application is being processed, the principal applicant may apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa. Immigration New Zealand states that this visa can be valid for up to 9 months, allowing the applicant to continue running the business while the residence application is processed; it does not guarantee that the additional visa will be granted.

Must the business and ownership stay the same?

For the New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa, the applicant must remain self-employed and actively involved in the same business approved during the Establishment stage of the Business Investor Work Visa, unless that business was approved through a variation-of-conditions application.

The applicant must also:

Keep ownership of at least the same proportion of the business that was originally approved.
Obtain professional or occupational registration in New Zealand if it is required to run the business.
Keep the business compliant with immigration, employment and business standards.
Keep the business solvent and compliant with all financial, tax and legal obligations.
Prove continued involvement in the business’s running.
Satisfy the applicable employment requirements.

These requirements apply to the particular New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa and its related Business Investor Work Visa; they should not be assumed to apply unchanged to another country’s investor or residence programme.

How does the five-job employment test work?

The New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa employment test has more than one component:

Component	Requirement
Base workforce	The business must employ at least 5 people in full-time-equivalent positions
Additional New Zealand position	It must have created and maintained, for at least 12 months, ongoing employment for 1 additional full-time-equivalent New Zealand citizen or resident
Treatment of a vacancy	Employment remains “ongoing” where the position is vacant for no more than 3 months in a 12-month period
Acceptable evidence	Employment records, PAYE records, evidence of immigration status and assessments prepared by a qualified statutory accountant
During the fast-track operating period	The applicant must maintain employment of 5 full-time-equivalent staff

The additional New Zealand citizen or resident position is in addition to the 5 full-time-equivalent positions, not one of those positions. The official continuation requirement for a fast-track applicant expressly refers to maintaining the 5 full-time-equivalent positions.

What does the 184-day presence rule cover?

New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa stage	Presence requirement
While holding the Business Investor Work Visa	At least 184 days in New Zealand each year
While a fast-track applicant is completing the 3-year business-operation requirement	At least 184 days in New Zealand in each 12-month period

The 184-day rule should not be generalised to other New Zealand visas or investor categories. Its application depends on the particular visa or programme and the stage of the process.

What evidence must support the business and application requirements?

Evidence should be organised according to the requirement it is intended to prove.

Evidence of active involvement

Evidence of involvement in running the business must come from a reliable independent agency. Possible examples listed by Immigration New Zealand include:

Audited accounts.
Bank statements showing regular revenue and expenses.
Anonymised employee records.
Financial statements and GST records.
Invoices for business equipment and supplies.
Other tax records.
Lease documents for the business premises.
Employment agreements.
Utility company invoices.
Sales agreements.
Product or service contracts.

Evidence of solvency, employment and legal compliance

The application must include:

An assessment from a qualified statutory accountant confirming that the business is solvent and complies with financial and tax obligations.
A letter from a lawyer confirming that the lawyer is satisfied the business complies with all legal obligations.
Evidence that the business meets the required employment conditions.

Identity, health and character evidence

Core application evidence includes:

A passport or certificate of identity, provided as the original or a certified copy.
2 acceptable photographs.
A full birth certificate, provided as the original or a certified copy.
A chest X-ray and medical examination as evidence of good health.
Evidence of good character and compliance with the fit-and-proper-person requirements.

A chest X-ray or medical-examination document must be less than 3 months old when Immigration New Zealand receives it. Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when the application is submitted. For each person aged 17 or older included in the application, police certificates are required from every country of citizenship and from other countries where that person stayed for 12 months or more during the previous 10 years, even if the stays were not continuous.

Any document that is not in English must have a certified English translation meeting Immigration New Zealand’s requirements.

What does the paper application cost, and how is it submitted?

The official Business Investor Resident Visa page states a starting application fee of NZD 14,890. The page requires an applicant to provide their country before displaying the relevant process and cost information, so the exact payable amount should be confirmed before submission.

The application is completed on paper.

Gather documents: Collect the evidence required by the “Who can apply” section and attach all required supporting documents.
Complete the application form: Ensure that identity details match the passport or certificate of identity exactly.
Submit and pay: Check the official fee and submission instructions, confirm where to submit the application and ensure sufficient funds are available for the full payment.
Wait for the decision: Immigration New Zealand will contact the applicant if more information is required and will email the applicant when a decision is made.

The official material reviewed does not state a processing time. An applicant already in New Zealand must hold a valid visa.

Can a partner and dependent children be included?

A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger may be included in the New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa application.

Where family members are included:

The applicant must have a genuine relationship with them.
Relationship evidence may include a marriage certificate and birth certificates.
The partner and dependent children must meet the visa’s identity, character, health and English-language requirements.
If a partner or dependent child holds or has applied for a New Zealand temporary entry visa based on that relationship, the person must be included in the residence application.
A partner or dependent child aged 16 or older must speak English or pay for English-language classes in New Zealand.
An English-language test must meet Immigration New Zealand’s minimum score and must be no more than 2 years old when the application is submitted.

If an otherwise eligible application includes a partner or dependent child aged 16 or older but the English-language evidence has not yet been provided, Immigration New Zealand may first grant approval in principle. The applicant then has 6 months to provide evidence that the family member meets the English requirement.

What can the New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa allow?

A successful Business Investor Resident Visa allows the holder to:

Stay in New Zealand indefinitely.
Live, work and study in New Zealand.
Continue running their own business.

The travel conditions require separate attention. The holder may travel in and out of New Zealand as often as desired for 2 years. To travel after that period, the holder must apply for a variation of conditions or, if eligible, a Permanent Resident Visa. If the holder is outside New Zealand when the travel conditions expire, the visa also expires.

The visa must remain in a valid passport for travel. After a passport expires, the holder must apply to transfer the visa to a new passport before travelling.

After holding the Business Investor Resident Visa for at least 2 years and satisfying all conditions, the holder may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

This is general information about the New Zealand Business Investor Resident Visa, not a personal eligibility assessment or a promise of residence. Confirm the current requirements for your circumstances with Immigration New Zealand before applying.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Does the NZD 2 million route require only one year of business operation?

No. It allows an application after 12 months, but the applicant must continue actively running the same approved business for a further 2 years to reach the required 3-year operating period.

Does “fast track” mean Immigration New Zealand will process the application faster?

The official term refers to applying earlier. The official material reviewed provides no processing time, so it should not be interpreted as a promise of a faster decision or approval.

Is the employment test only five employees?

No. The business must employ at least 5 full-time-equivalent people and must also have created and maintained, for at least 12 months, one additional ongoing full-time-equivalent position for a New Zealand citizen or resident.

Can my partner and dependent children be included?

A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger may be included if the relationship and identity, character, health, English and other applicable requirements are met.

Is the Business Investor Resident Visa a Permanent Resident Visa from the start?

No. It allows indefinite stay in New Zealand, but it is distinct from a Permanent Resident Visa. After holding it for at least 2 years and meeting all conditions, the holder may apply for permanent residence.