NEW ZEALAND
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is not a small country but a large village. - Peter Jackson
GDP
RELIGIONS WORSHIPPED
Roman Catholic 88.6%, Other 11.4%,
​
GOVERNMENT TYPE
Parliamentary Republic
​
CURRENCY
EURO
EXCHANGE RATE
1 USD = 1.06 EURO
POPULATION: 4,917,000
Population Growth: 0.90%
​
GDP (per capita)
22,353
GDP (purchasing power parity)
9.642 billion USD (2013)
​
VISA FREE COUNTRIES: 166
​
LOCATION
South of Italy on the Mediterranean Sea
​
CAPITAL
Welland
TIME DIFFERENCE
CET: + 1:00
​
TOTAL AREA
316 sq. km
​
AGE DEMOGRAPHICS
0-14 years: 15.01%
15-24 years: 11.84%
25-54 years: 40.1%
55-64 years: 13.98%
65 years and over: 19.06%
​
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
Maltese 90%, English 63% Italian 33%
​
“New Zealanders believe life is for living. It’s about balancing a good day’s work with time for family and friends.”
New Zealand
​
Investors and entrepreneurs with capital, experience and international connections are wanted in New Zealand. To attract them, the government has created several dedicated visa paths to offers multiple residency options to both investors and entrepreneurs. Potential applicants may choose to obtain investor visas, entrepreneur visas or Global Impact Visa (GIVs), depending on whether their purposes for staying in the country.
Why New Zealand?
​
Having a balanced lifestyle, natural beauty and peace are few of the many reasons why New Zealand is a lovely place to live in. With renowned education system and unbeatable lifestyle, New Zealand offers a safe living environment with excellent opportunities and support services for newcomers all around the globe.
​​
Benefits
​
-
Permanent residency available under many types of visas
-
Residency for whole family
-
Enjoy rights of New Zealand residents
-
Receive free or subsidized health care at publicly funded health services
-
Work and study in New Zealand
Eligibility
​
-
Must be in good health
-
Must be of good character
-
Hold no criminal record
-
Must be able to speak English for both applicants and family members
Minimum Investment Requirements
Investor Visas
​
-
Investor Visa (Investor 2 Resident Visa)
Applicants who have a minimum of NZD3 million in available funds or assets for investment can apply for New Zealand residence, subject to the eligibility requirements below:
​
-
Under the age of 65
-
Possess at least 3 years of business experience
-
Pass the relevant English language requirements for both the applicant and his family members
The acceptable investments are restricted to 5 types, namely bonds, equities, properties, philanthropic investments and angel funds/networks’ investments. The investments should then be held for a minimum of 4 years.
​
During the 4-year investment period, a minimum of 146 days every year have to be spent in New Zealand. While if you have invested a minimum of NZD750,000 in growth investments, 438 days have to be spent over the 4-year investment period.
+
Investor Plus Visa (Investor 1 Resident Visa)
​
Alternatively, if applicants do not wish to fulfil the additional requirements aforementioned, they can opt for another route, where the requirement will only be investing NZD10 million in the acceptable investments of New Zealand over a 3-year period.
​
If a minimum of NZD2.5 million has been invested in growth investments, 88 days should be spent in New Zealand during the 3-year investment period. Otherwise, applicants will have to spend 44 days in New Zealand in each of the last 2 years over the 3-year investment period.
​
The whole application process will be completed within 40 months and a permanent resident visa can be obtained upon satisfying the above conditions.
Entrepreneur Visas
Entrepreneur Work Visa
​
For applicants who would like to work in their own business in New Zealand, a capital investment of NZD100,000 should be made. For investments less than the prescribed amount, a waiver can be requested if the business is in science, ICT, or other high-value export industries and shows a high level of innovation or short-term growth prospects.
Other requirements should also be satisfied, which include:
​
-
Having a clear business plan
-
Achieving at least 120 entrepreneur points in the consideration of various factors related to the success and value of the business
-
Starting up the business within the first 12 months after application is granted
-
No association with failed business or bankruptcies in the past 5 years
-
Not involved in any kind of financial/business misconduct or fraud
The work visa will last for 3 years and the remaining 24 months will be granted upon establishment of the business in the first 12 months.
Entrepreneur Resident Visa​
The Entrepreneur Residence Category allows applicants to live in New Zealand permanently if applicants have established a high growth and innovative business with export potential in New Zealand. There are two ways of qualifying for residence under this policy:
​
-
Entrepreneur Residence Category (2 years)
Applicants who have successfully established or purchased a business in New Zealand and have been self-employed in that business for at least 2 years. The business must be profitable and contributing to New Zealand’s economic growth.
-
Entrepreneur Residence Category (6 months)
While applicants who have been running a business for less than 2 years can go after an alternative fast track route to residence subject to some additional eligibility requirements:
​
-
Have an Entrepreneur Work Visa
-
Have at least NZD500,000 in applicant’s invested capital
-
Create a minimum of 3 new full-time jobs for New Zealand citizens or residents.
Under both options, applicants still need to meet health, character and English language requirements.
Global Impact Visa (GIVs)
​
Specifically targeting entrepreneurs and investors accepted into the Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF), immigration to New Zealand is possible through the application of a Global Impact Work Visa. To qualify the visa, NZD36,000 maintenance funds is required to support the applicant and his family.
​
A 3-year open work visa will then be granted to eligible investors or entrepreneurs.
Applicants will have to remain on the EHF for 30 months before applying for permanent residence. Continual support of the EHF is needed to be eligible.