At the end of last year, the New Zealand government announced that it would adjust the application conditions for the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa.

On February 9, the New Zealand government finally announced the adjustments to the visa. The relevant measures will take effect on April 1, 2025.

Below, let's take a closer look at the specific contents of the new policy.

01

Simplified investment requirements

Since its launch in 2022, the Active Investor Plus visa has been controversial due to its complex weighted scoring system, strict English requirements and limited investment scope.

In order to attract more investors, the New Zealand government decided to simplify the existing complex weighted scoring system into two investment channels: "growth" and "balanced".

Growth investment: high-risk investment, investors need to invest directly in New Zealand companies or managed funds within three years, with an investment amount of not less than NZ$5 million.

Balanced investment: mixed risk investment, investors need to invest NZ$10 million within five years, and the investment objects include bonds, stocks, new real estate development projects or existing commercial and industrial properties.

The above investors must complete all investments within 6 months after the approval in principle, but they can also apply for an extension of 6 months, that is, they have up to 12 months to complete the investment.

▲Adjustment as above

02

Other application conditions are more relaxed

In addition to the simplification of investment requirements, the New Zealand government has also relaxed other application conditions.

❶ Reduce the residence requirement.

For growth investment, investors only need to stay in New Zealand for 21 days during the investment period.

For balanced investment, investors need to live in New Zealand for at least 105 days, but they can reduce the stay time by investing in direct investment or managed funds that exceed the minimum investment amount.

For example: Investing $11 million, reduce 14 days; investing $12 million, reduce 28 days; investing $13 million, reduce 42 days.

❷ Cancel the English language requirement.

Previously, the visa required the main applicant to have an average IELTS score of 5.0. The new policy cancels this requirement, allowing more investors to easily meet the application requirements.

This is undoubtedly good news for investors who intend to immigrate to New Zealand.

The "balanced" investment channel has opened up a path for low-risk investors.

Measures such as canceling English requirements and simplifying the application process have made it easier for investors to apply for visas.

If you are interested in applying for this project, please contact Xingyunhai International. We will provide you with a tailor-made exclusive plan.