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Active Investor PlusNew Zealand's current investor route is Active Investor Plus, in two categories. Growth: a minimum of NZ$5m held for three years, with at least 21 days spent in the country during that period. Balanced: a minimum of NZ$10m held for five years, with at least 105 days as the standard requirement.
Since the settings changed in April 2025 there is no English language requirement and no upper age limit. In practice what decides the outcome is whether the source of funds forms a complete chain of evidence.
Our team of IAA-licensed advisers and a High Court lawyer takes families through the whole application, from untangling the assets to arranging the investment. The first 20 minutes are a free assessment.
Policy current as at August 2026. Source: Immigration New Zealand.
The difference is more than NZ$5m against NZ$10m. The holding period, the days required, the acceptable investments and the risk profile all differ.
| Growth | Balanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum investment | NZ$5m | NZ$10m |
| Holding period | 3 years | 5 years |
| Minimum days in New Zealand | At least 21 days | Normally at least 105 days |
| Investment focus | Venture capital and private credit | A wider range, with lower-risk assets available |
| Acceptable investments | Venture capital and private credit; philanthropic giving up to 20% | Direct investments, managed funds, listed equities, bonds, philanthropic giving, and qualifying residential and commercial property development |
| Risk profile | Higher risk, generally less liquid | More flexibility in allocation, risk more easily spread |
| English | Not required | Not required |
| Upper age limit | None under current policy | None under current policy |
| Who it suits | Those comfortable with higher investment risk who want a lower threshold and fewer days required | Families with larger assets who want more choice and flexibility in how they invest |
Policy current as at August 2026. Source:Immigration New Zealand — Active Investor Plus Visa · acceptable investments · NZTE
Balanced normally requires at least 105 days across the five-year period. Investing additional funds that qualify under the Growth settings — philanthropic giving excluded — reduces this by 14 days for each additional NZ$1m, to a maximum reduction of 42 days, taking the minimum down to 63.
This rule matters most to families with the assets but not the time: you don't have to choose Growth purely to reduce the days.
In practice we don't start from the amount. We start from the family's assets, appetite for risk and plans:
Neither category is better in the abstract. The choice follows from the family's asset structure, risk tolerance, liquidity needs and how they intend to live.
Not sure which suits you?The logic behind three family situations · Wondering how far source-of-funds evidence has to go?The four documents most often missing
The money is only the ticket in. What actually decides it is the first item below: whether the source of funds forms a complete chain of evidence.
There is no fixed look-back period.INZ wants proof the funds were lawfully earned or acquired, and an account of how they accumulated, were held and were transferred here. How far back that goes depends on how your assets were formed.
Neither is a barrier.There is no upper age limit under the current settings, and since 1 April 2025 the English requirement has been removed — neither Growth nor Balanced requires an IELTS or PTE score.
A partner and children under 24 can be included.Once a resident visa is granted, children are generally domestic students and don't pay international fees at state schools.
Six stages. The one most people underestimate is the second — assembling the source of funds before filing usually takes longer than the assessment itself.
How the two categories divide, how long the money is locked in, how long you need to be here. The video sets out the rules first; your own situation comes after.
Filmed or recorded by us. The content reflects each speaker's own experience and each school's circumstances at the time; courses, places and fees are as published by each school at the time you apply. The player loads only when you click. More videos in thevideo section of the blog.
Choosing between the categories, what source-of-funds evidence involves, and where cases stall under the new settings.
The difference is more than NZ$5m versus NZ$10m. Judged on lock-in period, days required and flexibility.
There's no fixed look-back period, because what's traced is how the asset was formed. Starting from a single property sale.
Under the new settings the sticking point moved from the amount to whether the money can be traced.
Currently a minimum of NZ$5m.Active Investor Plus divides into Growth and Balanced. Growth requires a minimum of NZ$5m held for three years; Balanced NZ$10m held for five. Beyond the amount, they differ markedly in acceptable investment types, risk, liquidity and days required.
The biggest difference isn't the amount but the type of investment, the risk and the time.Growth has a lower threshold and a three-year period, but concentrates in venture capital and private credit — higher risk and less liquid. Balanced runs five years but allows listed equities, bonds and qualifying residential and commercial property development among others. Which to choose follows from the family's asset structure and tolerance for risk.
There is no fixed number of years.What matters is proving the nominated funds were lawfully acquired and showing clearly how they accumulated and moved. If the assets come from years of running a business, older property, family gifts or share transactions, the trace may need to go back a long way. Assess the source of funds first, then decide which assets to nominate.
It isn't counted annually — it's the total across the whole investment period.Growth requires at least 21 days across 36 months; Balanced normally at least 105 across 60. Additional investment qualifying under the Growth settings can reduce the Balanced requirement by up to 42 days, to 63.
We don't promise approval — under the IAA code of conduct a licensed adviser may not. What we promise is source-of-funds work good enough to file, and an honest account of where the risk sits.
An investor visa is a financial matter as much as an immigration one. The source-of-funds trail runs through company shareholdings, asset disposals and tax records — more than an immigration adviser alone can carry.
An investor file is several times the size of an ordinary visa application, and a single inconsistency can trigger a request for more information — each costing weeks. Two reviewers exist to find those before filing.
This page was reviewed by
IAA-licensed immigration adviser
Neil Summons IAA Licence No. 202000319 (Full Licence)
Silvia Chen IAA Licence No. 202504240 (Provisional Licence)
Legal
Melvin Wang Enrolled barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand
Under New Zealand immigration law, only IAA-licensed advisers and lawyers may give New Zealand immigration advice.IAA licences come at Full and Provisional levels, and a Provisional holder practises under a Full holder's supervision. Licence numbers can be verified on the Immigration Advisers Authority public register.
Every family's assets, risk tolerance and plans differ, and so does the category that suits them. The first 20 minutes are free, assessed by an IAA-licensed adviser.
For a full assessment → the form. Set out your family's situation once and the adviser can give a direction in their reply.
Just one or two questions → LINE is quicker. Remember to send a message after adding us, or we won't see it.
Jomel Limited
Unit G02/7 Rose Garden Lane, Albany, Auckland 0632
+64 (09) 421 0168 | info@jomelnz.com
This page reflects policy published by Immigration New Zealand and other New Zealand government agencies as at August 2026. Immigration policy, investment rules and individual eligibility change over time; the conditions that apply are those in force when you apply, assessed against your own circumstances. Nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice.
