Residence through investment

The government has signalled substantial changes to the Active Investor Plus (AIP) residence category that will be attractive to people looking to invest and secure residence.

New Zealand has had residence programmes by investment category for decades in one form or another. During 2009 to 2022, the Investor 1 and Investor 2 categories were very popular and attracted successful investors from around the globe. At its peak, these two categories resulted in over a $1 billion a year invested in New Zealand through the visa programme and another $2 to $3 billion invested annually by migrant investors elsewhere in the economy.

The introduction of the current AIP in 2022 considerably stemmed the flow of new applications. After more than two years less than 100 have applied. High English language requirements, limited investment options and a high number of days to be spent in New Zealand during the investment period turned off the market.

There is now a golden opportunity for New Zealand to capture high-net-worth individuals looking for a new home in a world that is looking more troubled. Other countries including Australia, Canada and the UK, have closed their investor visas. New Zealand stands out in the crowd as a safe place to invest, live, work and settle families.  

As more news of these AIP changes come to hand we will keep you updated. At this stage, we understand changes will be announced around 10 March. If you, family or friends are interested in the AIP connect with our Investor Visa team at any time to keep up to date with these changes and the new opportunities.