New Zealand is a great place to be in business. The 2019 World Bank survey ranked NZ as the number one country for ease of doing business.

The Entrepreneur Work Visa is for applicants who are interested in establishing a business in New Zealand or purchasing a business.

An Entrepreneur Work Visa is a three-year work visa and there are two stages.

1)      Start-up stage:

Once approved, you will initially be given a 12-month work visa, enabling you to buy or establish your business in New Zealand.

2)      Balance stage:

This is for the remaining 24 months of your visa. You can be granted the balance of your Entrepreneur Work Visa once you have shown Immigration New Zealand that you have taken reasonable steps to establish and operate the planned business and for money required to establish the business has been transferred to NZ.

Entrepreneur Work Visa Requirements

To be approved for an Entrepreneur Work Visa, you must:

• make a minimum capital investment of NZ$100,000, unless this requirement is waived
• meet or exceed 120 points for capacity building factors such as age, investment into New Zealand, previous business experience, or where your business will be based amongst others;
• have a business plan specific to your proposed business
• not been involved in bankruptcy or business failure within the 5 years preceding the date your application is made
• not have been involved in business fraud or financial impropriety, and
• meet our health and character requirements for residence and English language requirements

All applicants must obtain professional advice and are assisted with meticulous planning and careful consideration before applying for one of the above Entrepreneur Work Visa visas.

Please call 01483 550920 if you would like to receive advice and guidance, we have experience in dealing with these types of applications and will be able to provide you with the assistance that is needed.

Entrepreneur Residence Category

Holders of the Entrepreneur Work Visa who has successfully established a business may apply for a residence visa under the Entrepreneur Residence category after spending a minimum of 6 months or 2 years in New Zealand.

The Entrepreneur Work Visa and Entrepreneur Residence category can be successfully used together as a means to obtain residency for those applicants who have sufficient capital, possess business experience, high-level management or business ownership experience and want to minimize their business investment. Immigration New Zealand will also have a strong emphasis on businesses that can show high growth, innovation and export potential.

All applicants must obtain professional advice and are assisted with meticulous planning and careful consideration before applying for one of the above Entrepreneur Residence Visa.

The Migration Associates team has experience in dealing with these types of applications and will be able to provide you with the assistance that is needed. Usually, these applications would be applied for onshore in New Zealand.

Applicants must meet the character and health requirements.

Government Fees and Processing Time

Application Fee	NZ$3265.00
Partner Application Fee	N/A
Dependents Application fee	N/A
Second Installment	N/A
Processing Times	21 to 25 months

* All fees and processing time are obtained from government source.