Business Pathways
The Business Investor Visa (BIV) provides a pathway to New Zealand residence through business acquisition and operation…
Unlike the Active Investor Plus Visa, which focuses on approved investment classes, the BIV is designed for people who wish to take an active ownership and management role in a New Zealand business.
For the right applicant, the BIV can provide an opportunity to secure a future in New Zealand while continuing to do what they do best: owning, managing and growing successful businesses.
Who Is the Business Investor Visa For?
The BIV is intended for experienced business owners and senior managers who wish to purchase and actively operate an established, going-concern business in New Zealand. The category is not available for people seeking to establish a new business from the beginning.
Applicants must be under 56 years of age and generally demonstrate:
- Business ownership or senior management experience
- Access to qualifying investment funds
- A genuine intention to actively participate in the business
- English language ability
- Good health and character
The business being purchased must generally:
- Have been operating for at least five years in New Zealand
- Employ at least five full-time equivalent staff
- Meet specific immigration policy requirements
- Not fall within an excluded business category
The BIV currently offers two investment pathways:
Standard Pathway
- Minimum qualifying business investment of NZ$1 million
- Residence eligibility after three years of successful business ownership and operation
Fast-Track Pathway
- Minimum qualifying business investment of NZ$2 million
- Residence eligibility after one year of successful business ownership and operation
The minimum qualifying business investment excludes any real estate component associated with the business purchase, although any real estate component can be in addition to the minimum investment requirement.
More Than Buying a Business
The Business Investor Visa is one of New Zealand's more complex visa categories.
Before a visa application can be lodged, you must first identify a suitable business that meets immigration requirements. This often involves working with business brokers, accountants, lawyers and other professional advisers to assess business suitability, undertake commercial due diligence, and negotiate a purchase agreement that is appropriately structured and conditional upon Business Investor Visa approval.
Once the visa has been granted and the business purchase completed, the journey is far from over.
You must then successfully own and operate the business, maintain compliance with immigration requirements, retain the required staffing levels, create at least one additional full-time position for a New Zealand citizen or resident, and satisfy all ongoing business and immigration obligations before then becoming eligible for residence.
The BIV should be approached as a long-term business acquisition, succession and immigration strategy rather than simply a visa application.
The BIV can be particularly attractive for established small and medium-sized businesses where the primary challenge is ownership succession rather than operational performance. For the right business, a migrant investor can provide a full or partial exit strategy for an existing owner while preserving the business, its workforce and its long-term value.
Business Pathways Contact Form
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