Eligibility Requirements

• Requirements for this visa include:
  • minimum capital investment of NZ$100,000 (excluding working capital)
  • 120 points or more, with points awarded for factors about the likely success of the business and its value to New Zealand
  • clear business plan
  • clean recent history of bankruptcy, business failure and fraud
  • health, character and English language requirements.

Process Details

Most people start out on an Entrepreneur Work Visa, which allows you to move to New Zealand and buy or establish a business. After either six months or two years you can then apply for residence under the Entrepreneur Residence Category.

This three year work visa is structured in two stages:

• Start-up stage: If your application is approved, you will initially be given a 12-month work visa, enabling you to buy or establish your business in New Zealand.
• Balance stage: Once you have proven that you have taken steps to establish your business, you are granted the remaining 24 months of your visa.

The Entrepreneur Residence Category allows you to live in New Zealand permanently if you have established a high growth business in New Zealand :

• Entrepreneur Residence Category (2 years) – Requires you to have successfully established or purchased a business in New Zealand and have been self-employed in that business for at least two years, and for your business to have significantly benefited New Zealand.
• Entrepreneur Residence Category (6 months) – This option provides a faster track to residence if you have invested at least NZ$500,000 in your business and have created a minimum of three new full-time jobs for New Zealand citizens or residents.

Under both options, you need to meet health, character and English language requirements.