OUR VIEW

This is not just an investment visa; it is a cross-border planning decision.

Strong applicants prepare their source-of-funds evidence early, understand Immigration New Zealand’s eligibility requirements and complete due diligence on potential qualifying investments before committing capital. They must also show that their funds were lawfully earned or acquired and that they meet the fit-and-proper-person requirements.

Active Investor Plus Visa requirements at a glance

RequirementWhat it means
Best forHigh-net-worth investors seeking New Zealand residence, long-term security and optional relocation.
Minimum investmentNZD5 million under Growth or NZD10 million under Balanced.
Investment periodThree years for Growth; five years for Balanced.
Minimum stay21 days during the 36-month Growth investment period; 105 days during the 60-month Balanced investment period. The Balanced requirement may be reduced through additional qualifying Growth investments.
Family inclusionPartner and dependant children aged 24 and younger may be included.
Processing benchmarkImmigration New Zealand currently indicates that 80% of Approval in Principle decisions are processed within 10 weeks, although complex applications may take longer.
Permanent residenceApply after three years under Growth or five years under Balanced, once the investment and residence conditions are met.
Best-fit decisionGrowth suits investors comfortable with higher-risk eligible investments; Balanced suits investors seeking a broader mix of acceptable investment options.

Why investor interest is accelerating

New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus settings were simplified from 1 April 2025, creating two clearer investment categories and reducing complexity for qualifying investors. Immigration New Zealand’s latest published update shows renewed demand under the revised programme.

Current programme indicatorLatest published figure
Investment pipeline and committed capitalNZD4.845 billion added to the investment pipeline or committed since the April 2025 changes.
Applications received837 applications received under the new settings by 23 July 2026.
Applications approved395 applications approved by 23 July 2026.
Application trendGrowth remains the dominant category, accounting for 710 of the 837 applications received.

Source: Immigration New Zealand. Figures correct at 23 July 2026.

The opportunity is clear, but so is the need for preparation. There are no country caps or annual approval limits, but applicants must still submit robust, well-evidenced applications that transparently support their source of funds, investment choice and wider family objectives.

Is New Zealand residency-by-investment right for you?

The Active Investor Plus Visa is best suited to investors who want more than a passive Plan B. It is designed for applicants who can place qualifying capital into New Zealand and meet defined residence and investment conditions.

UNCONFIRMED PROGRAMME TERMS

  • You can commit at least NZD5 million to qualifying New Zealand investments.
  • You want New Zealand residence without needing to relocate full-time.
  • You want a stable Asia-Pacific base for your family.
  • You can evidence how your investment funds were lawfully earned or acquired.
  • You want a pathway to permanent residence once conditions are met.
  • You need strategic guidance before choosing between Growth and Balanced.
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Growth vs Balanced: Which category fits your strategy?

The category decision should not be made on investment amount alone. Growth and Balanced differ in investment period, acceptable investments, risk profile and stay requirements.

Category Minimum investment Investment period and stay Best suited to
Growth NZD5 million Three-year investment period; at least 21 days in New Zealand during the 36-month investment period. Investors comfortable with higher-risk eligible investments, including direct investments, managed funds and philanthropy capped at 20% of the total investment.
Balanced NZD10 million Five-year investment period; at least 105 days in New Zealand during the 60-month investment period, subject to a possible stay reduction through additional qualifying Growth investments. Investors seeking a broader mix of acceptable investments, including direct investments, managed funds, listed equities, bonds, property developments and philanthropy.

 

Balanced stay concession:

For each additional NZD1 million invested in acceptable Growth investments, excluding philanthropy, the 105-day stay requirement can be reduced by 14 days, up to a maximum reduction of 42 days. The additional funds must be nominated before Approval in Principle and maintained throughout the investment period.

Our advisory view:

Growth may suit investors prepared to take a more active, growth-focused approach and accept potentially illiquid investments. Balanced may suit investors seeking broader acceptable investment options who can commit a higher amount for a longer period.

Key benefits of the New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa

The category decision should not be made on investment amount alone. Growth and Balanced differ in investment period, acceptable investments, risk profile and stay requirements.

Family and residency benefitsInvestment benefits
Residence rights: Live, work, study or retire in New Zealand, subject to visa conditions. Attractive investment options: Choose Growth or Balanced to match your risk profile and portfolio.
Family inclusion: Include your partner and dependant children aged 24 and younger. Multiple qualifying investments: Spread capital across more than one qualifying investment where appropriate.
Flexible residency: Only the principal applicant must meet the minimum-stay requirement. Portfolio diversification: Diversify beyond your home currency, jurisdiction or asset class.
No full-time relocation requirement: Family members included in the visa must enter New Zealand within 12 months of being granted residence, but do not have a minimum-stay requirement. Defined investment framework: Use acceptable investments, including approved managed funds and other eligible options.
Permanent residence pathway: Apply after three years under Growth or five years under Balanced once the relevant conditions are met. Long-term capital planning: Align investment selection with your liquidity, investment horizon and risk tolerance.

Why investors choose New Zealand

New Zealand offers something many globally mobile families are looking for: stability, distance from geopolitical pressure points, a transparent legal system and a high-quality lifestyle. The appeal is not only financial. It is about jurisdictional diversification and long-term family security.

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Stable democracy

A trusted legal and political environment for families seeking long-term security.

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Transparent legal system

Strong rule-of-law standards and investor protections.

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Asia-Pacific base

A strategic location for families and investors with global interests.

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Education and healthcare

Access to established public systems and high-quality private options.

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Lifestyle and safety

Space, natural beauty and a reputation for quality of life.

Who should be cautious?

The Active Investor Plus Visa is powerful for the right investor, but it should not be treated as a simple form-filling exercise.

Be cautious if:

  • Your source-of-funds evidence is complex, incomplete or difficult to verify.
  • You want a passive investment with no compliance, transfer or evidence obligations.
  • You need guaranteed investment performance or no exposure to eligible investment risk.
  • You want to rely on residential property as the qualifying investment.
  • You cannot meet the required stay period for your chosen category.
  • You are uncertain whether Growth or Balanced fits your capital strategy.
  • You are not ready to transfer and invest funds within the required timeframe after Approval in Principle.

If any of these apply, take advice before proceeding. A misaligned investor visa strategy can affect capital planning, family timelines and the credibility of the application—not just the processing time.

 

Discuss my New Zealand investor visa strategy
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Step-by-step Active Investor Plus application journey

01.

Eligibility and strategy assessment

Review your financial profile, source of funds, family circumstances, objectives and best-fit category.

02.

Category and investment planning

Decide whether Growth or Balanced best fits your capital strategy, investment appetite and stay plans.

03.

Source-of-funds preparation

Build the evidence trail showing how your nominated funds were lawfully earned or acquired.

04.

Visa application submission

Submit the application to Immigration New Zealand with the required identity, health, character, fit-and-proper and investment evidence.

05.

Approval in Principle

If approved in principle, you will initially have six months to transfer and invest your funds. In some cases, Immigration New Zealand may grant a further six months where reasonable transfer attempts can be evidenced.

06.

Transfer and invest funds

Complete the qualifying investments in line with the category and acceptable investment rules.

07.

Maintain conditions

Keep funds invested and meet the required time in New Zealand during the investment period.

08.

Permanent residence stage

Apply for permanent residence after meeting the Growth or Balanced conditions.

Why Active Investor Plus applications get delayed

Investor visa applications usually slow down when the strategy or evidence is not prepared early enough.

Common issues include:

  • Incomplete, inconsistent or poorly traced source-of-funds evidence.
  • Selecting an investment that does not meet acceptable investment criteria.
  • Delays transferring and investing funds after Approval in Principle.
  • Weak evidence for partner or dependant children included in the application.
  • Health, character or fit-and-proper checks requiring further information.

A strong application must demonstrate lawful funds, a suitable category choice, acceptable investments and a credible plan for meeting the visa conditions.

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How Sable International helps

We help you assess whether the New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa is the right residency-by-investment route, which category best fits your capital strategy and how to prepare a credible application.

Sable International brings cross-border immigration, investment migration and family mobility expertise together under one roof. For high-net-worth clients, this matters. The visa decision often sits alongside tax exposure, asset structuring, succession planning, education goals and long-term family optionality.

01.

Eligibility assessment before you commit

We review your profile, family circumstances and goals before a single form is filed.

02.

Growth vs Balanced route selection

We help you understand the category implications ahead of filing an application.

03.

Source-of-funds readiness

We help identify the evidence needed to support a clear and credible funds narrative.

04.

Document and compliance guidance

We help you prepare the application around Immigration New Zealand requirements.

05.

Vetted New Zealand legal and investment support

We coordinate with trusted specialists where local regulated advice or investment execution is required.

06.

End-to-end application support

We provide an advice-led service from initial assessment through to the residence and permanent residence pathway.

Trusted by global families and investors

30+

Years of Specialist
Experience

Across 18 businesses under the Sable International brand

Why It Matters

Long-standing cross-border advisory experience for internationally mobile families.

600+

Investment Migration
Clients

Guided Globally

Why It Matters

Experience preparing and supporting complex residency and citizenship-by-investment applications for internationally mobile families.

Multi-
jurisdiction

Expertise

Across key international markets

Why It Matters

Immigration, investment migration and strategic planning support across key international markets.

Meet our Residency-by-Investment specialists

Trusted by Global Families and Investors

For decades, Sable has advised high net worth individuals on complex cross border decisions, combining immigration, investment, and strategic planning expertise under one roof.

Our clients span multiple jurisdictions and industries, united by a desire for security, mobility, and long term advantage.

  • John Dunn: Citizenship and Immigration Manager
    John Dunn
    Group Director: Citizenship and Immigration
  • Sarah Young
    Investment Migration Manager
  • Sihle Goniwe - Client Administrator
    Sihle Goniwe
    Senior Investment Migration Caseworker
  • Jessica Smith
    IM Casework Support
  • Suzan Mnisi
    IM Casework Support
  • Gabriella Barries_bw
    Gabriella Eastland
    Team Leader - Investment Migration Casework
  • John Dunn
    Group Director: Citizenship and Immigration

    John joined Sable International in 2008 and has managed multiple divisions during his time with the company.

    He has over a decade of experience in immigration, citizenship and residency-by-investment. He combines that with a background in sales, marketing and management to ensure that Sable International is the go to for all things relating to citizenship and immigration around the world.

    Outside of work, John is dedicated to his young family. He enjoys fitness activities and loves the outdoors.

    Read John's latest articles and insights.

  • Sarah Young
    Investment Migration Manager

    Originally from the UK, Sarah is well-travelled – having worked in France, South America and Botswana before settling in Cape Town. She graduated at the top of her class with a BA (Hons) in International Business before spending 15 years in hospitality. During this time, she gained a clear understanding of the need for global mobility through her own experience.

    Sarah currently oversees Sable International’s Investment Migration casework team, assisting clients with finding the programme which best fits their needs. Once people have chosen their route to global citizenship, her team assists them every step of the way through the entire process.

    In her free time Sarah enjoys life outdoors, spending time with family and friends paired with laughter, good food and wine.

     

  • Sihle Goniwe
    Senior Investment Migration Caseworker

    Sihle was born and raised in the Eastern Cape, moving to Cape Town in 2013 to study Surface Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She furthered her studies in graphic design but also branched out into hospitality, taking up retail sales and administrator positions at the iconic and luxury 5-star Mount Nelson Hotel.

    Sihle joined the Sable Investment Migration team in 2020 and has excelled in all of her roles, growing from a client administrator to investment migration caseworker and into her current senior caseworker position. She has traditionally focused on assisting our Portugal Golden Visa clients with their application process, even undertaking to learn Portuguese to better understand the requirements for nationality, but she also prepares and advises on complex residency and citizenship applications across all the jurisdictions where we offer investment migration solutions.

    Outside of work, Sihle enjoys spending time at the beach, hiking in the mountains, good food and wine tasing experiences.

  • Jessica Smith
    IM Casework Support

    Jessica has a background in corporate finance and HR administration and is currently transitioning into investment migration casework support at Sable International. She holds a BCom (Law) degree from Stellenbosch University and has developed a strong foundation in regulatory and administrative processes over the past two years. Jessica is excited to grow within the investment migration space and continue building her expertise in this field.

    Outside of work, she enjoys spending time in nature and unwinding with films, cooking and baking, watercolour painting, and always having music or a TV show playing in the background.

  • Suzan Mnisi
    IM Casework Support

    Suzan is originally from Phalaborwa in Limpopo, where she completed her matric at Meridian college. She moved to Johannesburg thereafter and completed her qualification at the University of Johannesburg. She started off her work experience in the jewellery retail industry. She is currently pursuing a degree in BCom Law with UNISA.

    Before joining Sable International, she worked for Elegance Jewels (Nom Nom). At Sable she provides casework support to the Investment Migration team.

    Outside of work, she enjoys trying out new restaurants, trying out activities that will give her an adrenaline rush and sleeping.

  • Gabriella Eastland
    Team Leader - Investment Migration Casework

    Gabriella was born and raised in Cape Town. She attended Wynberg Girls’ Junior and High Schools before studying Beauty Therapy and Somatology. She went on to work as a personal assistant and au pair, and in various retail environments, gaining experience in sales, customer service and admin.

    In 2020, she changed career paths and enrolled at Varsity College to study Business Principles and Practices. 

    She is creative and passionate, but always organised, diligent and determined. She enjoys being outdoors, going for drives, reading a good book, making the most out of life and spending time with family and friends.

Ready to Secure Your Global Future?

Your next step is a private, obligation free consultation to explore whether New Zealand residency by investment aligns with your goals.









Frequently asked questions about New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa

01What is the New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa?

The Active Investor Plus Visa is a New Zealand residency-by-investment route for investors who can place at least NZD5 million into acceptable Growth category investments or NZD10 million into acceptable Balanced category investments. Immigration New Zealand or Invest New Zealand determines whether an investment is acceptable, depending on the investment type.

02Who is the Active Investor Plus Visa best for?

It is best for high-net-worth investors who want New Zealand residence, long-term family security, a stable Asia-Pacific base and a pathway to permanent residence without needing to relocate full-time.

03How much do I need to invest?

You need at least NZD5 million for the Growth category or at least NZD10 million for the Balanced category.

04What is the difference between Growth and Balanced?

Growth requires a lower minimum investment over three years and focuses on higher-risk eligible investments. Balanced requires a higher investment over five years and offers a broader mix of acceptable investment options.

05How long do I need to spend in New Zealand?

Growth investors must spend at least 21 days in New Zealand during the 36-month investment period. Balanced investors must ordinarily spend at least 105 days during the 60-month investment period. This may be reduced by up to 42 days where additional qualifying Growth investments are nominated and maintained.

*Family members included in the visa must enter New Zealand within 12 months of grant, but they do not have a minimum-stay requirement.

06Can my family be included?

Yes. Your partner and dependant children aged 24 and younger may be included, provided they meet the relevant relationship, dependency, health and character requirements.

07Can the visa lead to permanent residence?

Yes. You may apply for permanent residence after three years under Growth or five years under Balanced, once the relevant investment and residence conditions have been met.

08How long does Approval in Principle take?

Immigration New Zealand currently indicates that 80% of Approval in Principle decisions are processed within 10 weeks, although complex applications may take longer.

09Do I need to move to New Zealand full-time?

No full-time relocation is required, but you must meet the stay requirement for your chosen category and maintain the qualifying investment conditions.

10What can delay an Active Investor Plus application?

Common causes include weak source-of-funds evidence, unacceptable investments, delays transferring funds and further information requests on health, character or family evidence.

11Should I choose Growth or Balanced?

The right category depends on your investment appetite, liquidity, acceptable investment preferences and long-term plans. Sable International can help you assess which route is better aligned before you commit capital.

12Is New Zealand the right residency strategy for your family?

Book a private, obligation-free consultation to assess whether New Zealand residency-by-investment aligns with your investment profile, family circumstances and long-term objectives.

 

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Disclaimer: Please do not act in reliance on information published or advised without consulting a suitably qualified independent legal or other professional advisor of your own choosing. Sable International will not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of their use or reliance on any of the advice provided by any one or all of the professional advisors identified by Sable International; loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of changing government legislation; and/or changing rules around immigration and nationality. Obtaining residency and citizenship is at the sole discretion of the government in question and cannot be guaranteed by Sable International.