Introduction:
Big announcement from New Zealand! In response to tightening immigration policies in Australia and longer waiting periods, New Zealand has unveiled a game-changing new visa aimed at attracting business investors. The more money you invest, the faster you get your PR!

1. New Zealand’s Latest Visa: The More You Invest, the Faster You Get Your PR!

In a surprising move, New Zealand has launched a new Business Investor Visa while officially closing the Entrepreneur Work Visa category. The announcement comes amid increasing competition from Australia for global talent.

The new visa, opening in November 2025, offers two investment pathways:

Invest NZD 1 million into an existing business: Apply for a 3-year work-to-residency pathway.

Invest NZD 2 million into an existing business: Apply for a 12-month fast-track residency pathway.

Both options require the applicant to either fully acquire a business or own at least 25% of the business, with the investment meeting the minimum thresholds.

Key Requirements:

The investment must be made in an existing New Zealand business that has been operating for at least five years and has at least five full-time employees.

The applicant must create at least one full-time job for a New Zealand citizen or resident, maintain at least five full-time employees, and keep the investment threshold intact.

The applicant must demonstrate the business’s debt servicing ability, stay in New Zealand for at least 184 days per year, and meet the country's health and character requirements.

Applicants must be under 55 years old, meet the English language requirements, have business experience, and possess at least NZD 500,000 to support themselves and their family.

Excluded Industries:

The visa excludes several sectors, including:

Adult entertainment, convenience stores, discount stores, drop-shipping businesses, fast food restaurants, franchises, gambling, family businesses, immigration consulting services, and tobacco or nicotine-related businesses.

Visa Fees:

Work visa application fee: NZD 12,380.

Resident visa application fee: NZD 14,890.

After meeting the requirements, investors can apply for the Business Investor Resident Visa.

2. Closure of the Entrepreneur Work Visa

As part of the new policy, New Zealand has officially closed the Entrepreneur Work Visa category to new applicants. However, the government has outlined a transition plan for those who are currently affected:

For existing Entrepreneur Work Visa applicants: The immigration department will process applications under the rules in place at the time of submission. If applicants choose to withdraw their application, the fees and taxes paid will not be refunded.

For current Entrepreneur Work Visa holders: They can continue to apply for the Entrepreneur Resident Visa. If they need more time to meet the requirements, they can apply for extensions to maintain their residency pathway.

Reason for Closure:

The closure of the Entrepreneur Work Visa category stems from its underperformance. The visa faced low application volumes, high rejection rates, and failed to deliver the expected economic benefits.

To replace it, the government is designing new visa options for innovative entrepreneurs with scalable business ideas, as part of a more refined business immigration framework.

3. Looking Ahead

New Zealand’s immigration minister, Erica Stanford, emphasized that the new Business Investor Visa aims to attract overseas investment, maintain and create job opportunities, increase revenue, and inject new life into existing businesses across the country.

What’s Next?

The government will release further details about the Business Investor Visa in October 2025, including a comparison with the Active Investor Plus Visa. This will help applicants make the best decision for their investment immigration plans.

Conclusion

The closure of the Entrepreneur Work Visa and the introduction of the Business Investor Visa represents a significant shift in New Zealand’s immigration policy. Whether it will successfully boost the economy remains to be seen, but now, investors seeking to migrate to New Zealand have a new pathway to consider.