The Government has announced the new Business Investor Visa (BIV), which creates a new pathway for foreign investors to obtain New Zealand residence through investment. 

Business Investor Visa

The BIV offers two investment options:

1. NZ$1 million investment in an existing business, for a three-year work-to-residence pathway.
2. NZ$2 million investment in an existing business, for a 12-month fast-track to residence pathway.

Applicants can purchase a business outright on either visa pathway, or acquire at least 25% of the business, provided the minimum investment thresholds are met.

The new visa reflects the Government’s broader refresh of business visa settings and is designed to target experienced businesspeople with capital to invest and hands-on business experience.

Applications for the BIV will open in November 2025.

Relationship with other visas

The BIV will replace the Entrepreneur Work Visa – which faced challenges including low application volumes, high decline rates and limited economic impact – and will operate alongside the revamped Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa, under which applicants can obtain residence by investing NZ$5 million or NZ$10 million in acceptable investments and meeting the minimum time-in-country requirements. 

It will be interesting to see how the new BIV pathway will affect the uptake of the AIP visa, given the differences in investment thresholds and residence pathways. Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that further information, including a comparison with the AIP visa, will be released in October.

Wider reform context

The introduction of the BIV forms part of the Government’s broader strategy to attract talented individuals and their capital to New Zealand by relaxing foreign investment rules, which is intended to support New Zealand’s economic growth. This includes the changes to the AIP visa pathway and the foreign investment fund (FIF) rules, which are now in effect – you can view our previous articles on these topics here (AIP visa) and here (FIF rules). 

An announcement confirming a loosening of the foreign buyer ban is also expected to be released soon. It is suggested that the Government will change the rules to allow foreign investors like AIP visa holders to purchase residential property in New Zealand. 

Our experts

If you have any questions, or would like our support or advice on foreign investment, our specialists Henry Brandts-Giesen, Wook Jin Lee, Joy Wang, Daniel McLaughlin and Sarah Wells have extensive experience in assisting overseas investors and are available to help.

This alert was written by Erin Choi Brown, a Solicitor in our Corporate and Commercial team, and Sarah Wells, a Senior Associate in our Private Wealth team.