1st Contact New Zealand Visas

New Zealand Entrepreneur Visa

To be eligible for residence in New Zealand under the entrepreneur category, you need to have successfully established a business, be self-employed or working in a business in New Zealand which is benefiting the country in some way. You may have gained a long term business visa or have a work permit which allowed you to establish your own business and now be eligible for residence.

To be eligible you must:

• Be healthy and of good character
• Have successfully established, purchased or made a substantial investment in a business operating in New Zealand
• Have a business which is benefiting New Zealand
• Meet a minimum standard of English
• Not have applied for or been granted any social welfare benefits during your time in New Zealand

You have successfully established a business in New Zealand if:

• You have successfully established, purchased or made a substantial investment in a business (a minimum of 25% of the shareholding of a business) operating in New Zealand
• The business has been established for at least 2 years
• You have been lawfully working in that business in New Zealand for at least 2 years

Your business is considered to be benefiting New Zealand’s economic growth if:

• You have introduced or enhanced existing technology, management and/or technical skills
• have introduced new, or enhanced existing, products, services and/or export markets
• You have created new job opportunities or revitalised an existing business

The New Zealand business must be trading profitably on the date you start to lodge your application or must clearly have the potential to become profitable within the following 12 months.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by any of the terminology in this section of the site, please see the glossary.