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  • Business Investor Work Visa

New Zealand Immigration

Business Investor Work Visa

Apply for this visa if you want to invest in and operate a business in New Zealand. You must invest at least NZD $1 million in an established business.

To apply, you must:

  • demonstrate that you can invest at least NZD $1 million in an acceptable, established New Zealand business that you intend to actively manage
  • demonstrate that you have at least NZD $500,000 available to support yourself (and your family, if included in your application) while establishing and growing your business
  • be aged 55 years or under at the time of application
  • meet the business experience requirements
  • demonstrate that you have sufficient English language ability
  • be a fit and proper person
  • satisfy all other requirements of this visa.

This visa allows you to:

  • live and work in New Zealand
  • invest in and operate an established business
  • undertake study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period
  • include your partner and dependent children in your application.
  • lead to a resident visa (PR pathway – Yes)
Am I eligible for a Business Investor Work Visa?

How long you can stay in New Zealand – up to 4 years

A Business Investor Work Visa is valid for up to 4 years, which includes the:

  • Establishment stage — within the first 12 months — to purchase your nominated business and start running it
  • Operating stage — the rest of the 4 years — to continue running and growing the business in New Zealand.

Within the first 9 months of your Business Investor Work Visa, you must provide us with evidence showing you have purchased and started running the business — then your visa will be valid for the rest of the 4-year period. If you do not provide acceptable evidence within the first 9 months, your visa will expire after the 12-month Establishment stage.

You can apply for 1 more Business Investor Work Visa (known as a ‘renewal’) of up to 2 years, if you need more time to meet the requirements of a Business Investor Resident Visa.

The length of time you must run your business in New Zealand for, before you are eligible for a Business Investor Resident Visa, depends on how much you invest.

If you invest at least:

  • NZD $1 million in an established business, you may be eligible for a resident visa after 3 years of running the business — standard pathway
  • NZD $2 million in an established business, you may be eligible for a resident visa after 12 months of running the business — fast-track pathway.

Note

If you apply for a Business Investor Resident Visa under the fast-track pathway, you must still run the business for at least 3 years across both visas. We apply conditions to your resident visa to make sure this requirement is met.

To apply for this visa, you must:

  • show that you can invest at least:
    • NZD $1 million in an established business, if you apply under the standard pathway, or
    • NZD $2 million in an established business, if you are applying under the fast-track pathway
  • show you have at least NZD $500,000 in reserve funds to support yourself (and your family if you are including them in your application) while running and growing your business
  • nominate and undertake due diligence on a business to purchase that meets our requirements
  • intend to be actively involved* in running the business
  • intend to create at least 1 new full-time job* for a New Zealand citizen or resident
  • have, or intend to get, professional or occupational registration in New Zealand, if required for running the proposed business
  • be aged 55 years or younger
  • meet the 3-year business experience requirement
  • speak and understand English
  • be in good health
  • be of good character
  • be a fit and proper person
  • meet the other requirements of this visa.

*Actively involved

Being actively involved in (or actively running or operating) your business, means participating in the day-to-day operations, decision making, and strategic planning of the business. This can include:

  • managing employees or teams
  • overseeing production, service delivery, or logistics
  • handling customer relations or sales
  • making financial decisions (for example, around budgeting, investments or pricing)
  • developing marketing strategies or business plans
  • monitoring cash flow and profitability
  • approving expenditures
  • ensuring compliance with tax and legal obligations.

*Full-time job

A job where you work at least 30 hours a week.

You must show us that you are able to make an investment of at least NZD $1 million in an established business.

NoteWe do not include the following costs towards the amount you invest:

  • goods and services tax (GST)
  • the business’ property value
  • fees and transaction costs.

You must provide evidence that the funds or assets you intend to use for your investment are:

  • owned by you (or you and your partner and/or dependent children included in your application), and
  • earned or acquired lawfully.

If you own an investment jointly with someone who is not your partner or dependent child, you can nominate the value of your share for your investment.

Evidence you own the funds or assets to invest can include:

  • bank statements
  • title deeds
  • property valuations
  • share certificates
  • business ownership documents
  • asset valuations.

Examples of evidence you earned or acquired the funds or assets lawfully include:

  • tax returns or certificates
  • pay slips
  • business financial statements
  • business shareholding
  • dividends
  • receipts for property sales
  • bank certificates
  • share trading profits
  • evidence of funds gifted permanently through a will
  • probate and other evidence of inherited money.

Your funds or assets cannot be borrowed (except in certain circumstances) or have a loan or bond against them.

NoteIf your nominated funds are already in New Zealand, you must provide evidence that they were either:

  • earned and acquired lawfully in New Zealand, or
  • originally transferred to New Zealand through a bank or an acceptable foreign exchange company from the country where they were legally earned or acquired.

You must have at least NZD $500,000 in reserve funds to support yourself (and your family, if applicable) while you are running and growing your business in New Zealand.

You must provide evidence you have the funds and/or assets to cover the required reserve funds, which can include:

  • bank statements — you must be able to access the funds from New Zealand
  • title deeds
  • property valuations
  • share certificates
  • business ownership documents
  • asset valuations.

The value you can claim for your reserve funds depends on if they are owned by you, or jointly by you and another person. If you own your reserve funds jointly with:

  • your partner and/or dependent children included in your application, you can claim the full value (you and your partner must be in a genuine and stable partnership)
  • someone who is not included in your application, you can only claim for the part of the investment that you own.

Partnership and how to prove it

Note

Your reserve funds must be on top of the investment you will make.

You must have at least 3 years of acceptable business experience for this visa.

Acceptable business experience can be:

  • paid self-employment in a business, charity, or non-governmental organisation operating in a commercial environment, with:
    • at least 5 full-time employees, or
    • an annual revenue of at least NZD $1 million
  • paid senior management level experience in a business, charity, or non-governmental organisation operating in a commercial environment, with
    • at least 5 full-time employees under your direct management, and
    • an annual turnover of at least NZD $5 million.

Senior management experience includes responsibilities such as:

  • approving significant costs
  • approving marketing strategies or business plans
  • ensuring compliance with tax and legal obligations
  • making financial decisions (for example, budgeting, investments, pricing)
  • managing employees or teams
  • overseeing production, service delivery, or logistics
  • strategic planning.

Evidence of this business experience can include:

  • business registration
  • company financial accounts
  • company or personal tax returns and tax records
  • shareholder certificates or proof of ownership of business
  • job descriptions or assessments
  • pay records
  • letters of appointment
  • certificates of service
  • strategic planning documents
  • bank records confirming authority to operate accounts
  • references from employers on company letterhead, stating the position and dates of employment, and their contact phone number and address.

The business you invest in must:

  • have been trading for at least 5 years
  • be lawful and currently operating in New Zealand
  • comply with immigration, employment and business standards
  • have a purchase price of at least NZD $1 million (not including property value or goods and services tax (GST)) that would result in you owning at least 25% of the business
  • employ at least 5 full-time equivalent staff
  • not already be owned by yourself or any family member
  • not have been used in an approved application in the last 10 years for a:
    • Business Investor Work Visa
    • Business Investor Resident Visa
    • Entrepreneur Work Visa, or
    • Entrepreneur Resident Visa.

As part of your application, you must provide:

  • a completed Business Proposal form, demonstrating that your nominated business meets the above requirements and describing the due diligence undertaken
  • a valuation of your nominated business from a qualified statutory accountant
  • supporting documentation, including the evidence asked for in the Business Proposal form
  • confirmation that you understand the legal and financial position of the nominated business and any associated risks
  • confirmation from a qualified statutory accountant of financial due diligence into your nominated business, and
  • confirmation from a New Zealand lawyer of legal due diligence into your nominated business.

Note

The lawyer who helps with your due diligence must be different to your immigration lawyer if you are using one — though they can be from the same firm.

You must be in good health.

You must provide a chest X-ray and a medical examination as proof of your good health.

You must be of good character.

If you are 17 or older, you must provide a police certificate from:

  • your country of citizenship
  • any country you have lived in for 5 years or more since you turned 17.

Note

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old at the time you apply.

If you provide a police certificate that is not in English, you must provide an English translation. This includes police certificates that record no convictions.

You must be a fit and proper person.

You must confirm in the application form that you meet fit and proper person requirements.

To be a fit and proper person, all businesses you have influence over must have complied with all immigration, employment and taxation laws. You must also have:

  • never been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office or the New Zealand Police for any offence resulting from business dealings
  • no convictions for an offence involving dishonesty, and
  • never been involved in business fraud or financial impropriety.

Note

We will contact you if you need to provide further information.

You must speak and understand English.

You can show us you speak English by either:

  • through your English ability from citizenship, working and studying, or
  • by taking an English language test.

Note

English language test results must be no more than 2 years old.

If you include your partner and children in your application, you must have a genuine relationship with them.

You must provide evidence:

  • of your relationship with your partner and dependent children, like a marriage certificate and birth certificates, and
  • that your partner and dependent children meet the health, character and identity requirements for this visa, if necessary.

A partner may be granted a work visa, and dependent children may be granted a student or visitor visa, depending on their needs.

Note

Your partner and any dependent children do not have to meet the English language requirement at this stage. However, if you later apply for residence, they will either need to meet the requirement or pay for English language classes before we can grant a resident visa.

You should provide copies of identity cards for family members included in your application.

Book a consultation to discuss your options

When you get your visa

Your visa is valid from:

  • the date you enter New Zealand, if you are outside New Zealand when we approve your application, or
  • the date you get your visa, if you are already in New Zealand.

Before your visa expires, you must leave New Zealand or be granted another visa.

When you arrive

Entry requirements

As part of New Zealand’s entry requirements, everyone must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). This form collects information about your travel, including customs, immigration, and biosecurity details.

When you can submit your NZTD depends on how you’re travelling:

  • By air: You can submit it from 24 hours before your journey begins.
  • By sea: You can submit it from 24 hours before your ship leaves its last overseas port heading to New Zealand.

While you are in New Zealand

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

After you arrive, you can travel in and out of New Zealand as many times as you like before your visa expires.

You must remain self-employed in New Zealand in the type of business named on your visa.

The type of business describes what your business does, not its specific name or location. For example, a type of business could be ‘cafes and restaurants’ or ‘internet publishing and broadcasting’.

Within the first 9 months of your Business Investor Work Visa, you must provide us with evidence showing you have purchased and started running the business.

If we approve your evidence, your visa will continue to be valid for the rest of the 4-year period.

If you do not provide acceptable evidence within the first 9 months, your visa will expire after the 12-month Establishment stage.

If the sale of your original nominated business falls through, you can change the business you intend to purchase if:

  • the reason the sale fell through was due to circumstances outside of your control
  • it is within the first 6 months of your Business Investor Work Visa
  • you send us a completed Business Proposal form for the new business with all the supporting evidence we need
  • the cost of the new business is at least NZD $1 million.

You can only change your nominated business ONCE.

You must still provide evidence that you have purchased the business and started running it within the first 9 months of the Establishment stage.

If, after the Establishment stage, you need to change the type of business you are actively involved in running, you must:

  • send us the completed variation of conditions application
  • send us evidence to show requirements have been met and any other documents we request
  • pay the fee.

You can only change the type of business once during your Business Investor Work Visa.

You can study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

Note

If you want to study longer than 3 months, you can apply for a variation of conditions to your work visa.

You must leave New Zealand or be granted another visa before your visa expires.

Note

Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.

Staying longer

–> Applying for a further Business Investor Work Visa

You can apply for 1 further Business Investor Work Visa (known as a ‘renewal’) if you need more time to meet the Business Investor Resident Visa requirements. This can be because you have not yet:

  • run the business continually for 3 years, or
  • created at least 1 new full-time job for a New Zealand citizen or resident.

A Business Investor Work Visa renewal is valid for up to 2 years and you must pay the renewal fee.

For us to approve your renewal application, you must show that:

  • your business continues to employ at least 5 people in full-time equivalent positions
  • your business complies with immigration, employment and business standards
  • your business is solvent and complies with all financial, tax and legal obligations
  • you continue to keep ownership of at least the same proportion of your business that was originally approved
  • you have spent the majority of your time in New Zealand running the business
  • you continue to meet fit and proper person requirements
  • within the duration of having a further visa, you are going to:
    • meet the requirements of the Business Investor Resident Visa by running the business for 3 years (or 12 months if the business was bought for at least NZD $2 million), and
    • create ongoing, full-time equivalent employment for 1 additional New Zealand citizen or resident
  • you and any partner or dependent children included in your application meet health and character requirements for residence.

–> Applying for a Business Investor Resident Visa

If you want to stay longer, you can apply for a Business Investor Resident Visa after you have spent time in New Zealand running your business.

The length of time you must operate your business in New Zealand for, before you are eligible for a Business Investor Resident Visa, depends on how much you invest.

If you invest at least:

  • NZD $1 million in an established business, you may be eligible for a resident visa after 3 years — standard pathway
  • NZD $2 million in an established business, you may be eligible for a resident visa after 12 months — fast-track pathway.

While on your Business Investor Work Visa, you must also have:

  • spent at least 184 days a year in New Zealand
  • kept ownership of at least the same proportion of your business that was originally approved
  • created, and maintained for at least 12 months, at least 1 new full-time job for a New Zealand citizen or resident
  • maintained employment of 5 full-time equivalent staff
  • kept the business solvent.
Book a consultation to discuss your options

Mohamed Anas Sirajur Raheem

Barrister and Solicitor, New Zealand
Australian Lawyer

Mohamed Anas Raheem is a New Zealander of Sri Lankan origin, born in Germany and raised in Canada during his formative years, he holds degrees in Law and Political Studies from both the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington.
With extensive experience in New Zealand’s immigration landscape, Mohamed has served as an Immigration Officer (Visa Services) in Wellington and as a Border Officer at Auckland International Airport. His career spans several years in various government departments, where he has honed his expertise in regulatory knowledge, public policy, immigration policy and practice. Additionally, he has worked as a Licensed Immigration Adviser at a prominent New Zealand immigration firm and in a self-employed capacity, providing guidance and support to those navigating the complexities of immigration processes.
Inspired by his own migration experiences, Mohamed is passionate about helping others achieve their dreams in New Zealand. His unique background and professional journey enable him to empathize with clients, ensuring they receive the best possible advice and support.

Mohamed is a New Zealand Immigration Lawyer with VisaEnvoy and an enrolled Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. He is also admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Book with Mohamed

Marney Richardson

  • Senior Immigration Consultant
  • Registered Migration Agent No. 1576670
  • New Zealand Migration Adviser: 202505791

Marney Richardson offers friendly and trustworthy migration advice for investors, businesspeople, skilled professionals, and companies looking to establish in Australia or New Zealand.

Marney has over 10 years’ migration experience in commercial and government sectors. She was the former Manager of Migration Queensland, the Queensland government agency responsible for business and skilled visas and part of Trade and Investment Queensland. She was responsible for state nominated visa policies and creation of Queensland Government visa programs such as the 491 Small Business Owners (SBO) program, Business Innovation and Investment Program – Entrepreneur Stream and the National Innovation Visa (NIV).

Marney specialities include (but are not limited to):

Book a consultation with Marney here.

Book with Marney

Relevant:

Entrepreneur Category closure

The Entrepreneur Category is now closed to new applications for the Entrepreneur Work Visa.

If you have applied for an Entrepreneur Work Visa

If you have recently submitted an application for an Entrepreneur Work Visa, we will process it following the rules that were in place when you applied.

If you withdraw your application, you will not be eligible for a refund of any fees or levies already paid, regardless of the reason for your withdrawal.

The Entrepreneur Work Visa is now closed to applications from new migrants. This is part of a refresh of our business visa settings.

As you have an application for an Entrepreneur Work Visa already in progress, it will continue to be processed based on instructions that applied at the time you made the application.

If you choose to withdraw your application, you will not be eligible for a refund of any fees or levies already paid. This applies regardless of the reason for withdrawal.

New Business Investor Visa launching
The Government has announced a new Business Investor Visa, which provides a pathway to residence for migrants who are ready to invest in, operate and grow established businesses in New Zealand.

The Business Investor Visa opens for applications in November 2025.

What does an Entrepreneur Work Visa offer?

If granted, an Entrepreneur Work Visa gives the holder permission to live in New Zealand and to work in the business specified in their visa application, as well as the right to undertake up to 3 months of study in any 12-month period.

Applicants are permitted to include their partner and/or dependent children in their application, providing that they also meet the identity, character and health requirements.

Holders of this visa are permitted to travel to and from New Zealand freely for the duration of their visa.

An Entrepreneur Work Visa is valid for an initial period of 12 months, extendable for a further 24 months on the condition that the holder proves that they have set up their business in New Zealand or will do within a reasonable time. In order to remain in New Zealand beyond the maximum three years of this visa, holders may want to consider applying for another work visa, or a residence visa such as the Entrepreneur Resident Visa.

How do I apply for an Entrepreneur Work Visa?

Once you have gathered your supporting evidence and information, applications for an Entrepreneur Work Visa can be submitted online. Around 80% of applications receive a decision within ten months.

How much your application will cost depends on your nationality, and can range from zero up to NZD $12380.