Active Investor Plus Visa Changes Provide Greater Certainty for Investors
Immigration New Zealand has announced a series of changes to the Active Investor Plus (AIP) Visa, aimed at making investment requirements clearer and giving applicants greater certainty when investing in New Zealand.
The changes follow a strong first 12 months for the refreshed Active Investor Plus Visa, which attracted 637 applications representing around NZD $3.7 billion in potential investment.
What is Changing?
Several of the updates focus on providing clearer rules around where investment funds come from and what evidence applicants need to provide. Under the new requirements, borrowed funds must come from the same country or jurisdiction as the assets being used to support the visa application.
Investors will also need to demonstrate that their nominated funds were lawfully earned or acquired and that the money was transferred using appropriate banking channels.
Where funds have been gifted to an investor, evidence will be required to show that the gift was unconditional and complied with the relevant laws in the country where it was made.
Simpler Requirements for Managed Funds
The changes also simplify requirements for applicants investing through managed funds. Investors will now only need to provide a legally binding agreement, with the previous requirement for the agreement to be non-revocable removed.
Immigration New Zealand is also aligning fund transfer requirements for the Parent Retirement Visa and Temporary Retirement Visa, creating a more consistent approach across different investment categories.
Changes for Children of Investor Visa Holders
A new approach is also being introduced for children born after an investor visa has been approved. Eligible children will be able to be included as secondary applicants when their parent applies for a Permanent Resident Visa, variation of travel conditions, or Second or Subsequent Resident Visa.
To qualify, the child must be a dependent of an Active Investor Plus, Investor 1 or Investor 2 Resident Visa holder, hold a Dependent Child Resident Visa based on that relationship, and have entered New Zealand using that visa.
A clearer pathway for New Zealand investors
The changes are intended to create a more transparent and straightforward investment process while maintaining the standards expected of New Zealand's investor visa programme.
For prospective investors considering the Active Investor Plus Visa, the updates provide greater clarity around investment funds, supporting evidence and family circumstances, helping applicants better understand what will be required throughout the process.