New Zealand has launched a four-year Business Investor Work Visa that lets high-net-worth families buy and run established businesses in exchange for a clear pathway to residence — just as US demand for investor visas hits new highs.
By Explorer Investments • Updated November 2025 • Not legal or tax advice
US Applicants
+72% Since Summer
Pathway
Work → Residence
Investment
NZD 1-2m
Reserve Funds
NZD 500k+
“US families are no longer chasing just tax arbitrage; they want resilient jurisdictions. New Zealand’s new investor visa, alongside Portugal’s EUR 500k fund-based Golden Visa, gives them powerful tools to build that optionality.”
New Zealand has long ranked highly for safety, governance and lifestyle. In 2025, that reputation translated into a sharp rise in investor visa interest from the United States, with applications under the existing Active Investor Plus framework rising significantly as global uncertainty and domestic polarisation accelerated “Plan B” thinking.
The government’s answer has been to refine its investor toolkit — easing some requirements and launching a brand-new Business Investor Work Visa that targets entrepreneurs willing to own and run established businesses on the ground.
The Business Investor Work Visa is a four-year category for investors who buy and actively operate an eligible, established New Zealand business. In return, it offers a clear, rules-based pathway to a separate Business Investor Resident Visa, subject to meeting investment, performance and presence criteria.
On top of the core investment, applicants must hold at least NZD 500,000 in reserve funds to support themselves and their family while running and scaling the business. These reserves sit in addition to the invested capital.
The visa is aimed at credible entrepreneurs and executives. Having cash is not enough - applicants must show they can add value to New Zealand’s economy.
Applicants are expected to show at least three years of meaningful business experience, which might include:
The target New Zealand business typically needs a trading history of at least five years, employ multiple full-time staff and create at least one new job for a citizen or resident. Activities such as gambling, adult entertainment, tobacco, some franchises and certain convenience or fast-food outlets are usually excluded.
The Business Investor Work Visa itself is temporary. To transition to a Business Investor Resident Visa, investors must usually prove that they:
For US investors already looking at Portugal, Greece or Spain, the natural question is how New Zealand’s Business Investor Work Visa compares to fund-based EU golden visa routes.
New Zealand demands hands-on ownership of a local business - with staff, customers and operational risk. Portugal’s Golden Visa fund route, by contrast, allows a EUR 500,000 subscription into a CMVM-regulated fund, with professional managers and relatively low time-in-country requirements.
For many US families, the answer is not “this or that” but “how do they work together?”. New Zealand can anchor an Asia-Pacific lifestyle and business project, while a Portuguese fund allocation secures Schengen access and a European base.
In our article 5 Trending Retirement & Golden Visa Destinations for Americans, we explore how Portugal, Greece, Spain and others fit into the wider conversation for US retirees and investors.
From a portfolio standpoint, the Business Investor Work Visa is about turning an operating company into a mobility asset. Returns are driven by EBITDA growth, cash generation and potential multiple expansion - not by headline yield.
Explorer Investments is rooted in private equity and real-economy value creation. Our Portuguese Golden Visa fund solutions channel EUR 500,000+ into CMVM-regulated vehicles targeting resilient, cash-generative companies — with the added benefit of a structured residency path.
For US families, New Zealand’s Business Investor Work Visa can sit alongside a Portuguese fund allocation as part of a multi-jurisdiction strategy:
“Capital should stay productive. Whether in a New Zealand business or a Portuguese fund, the visa should be the secondary benefit of a sound investment thesis — not the other way around.”
It is a four-year work visa that allows you to buy and actively run an eligible established business in New Zealand in exchange for a minimum investment, with a pathway to a separate Business Investor Resident Visa if you meet all criteria.
You can choose between a NZD 1 million standard pathway, typically tied to a three-year work-to-residence timeline, or a NZD 2 million fast-track where residence may become available after roughly 12 months of successful business performance and presence.
Yes. You must hold at least NZD 500,000 in reserve funds to support yourself and your family while running the business. This is in addition to the invested capital.
In most cases, eligible partners and dependent children can be included in your application, allowing them to live, study and, in some instances, work in New Zealand.
Active Investor Plus targets larger capital deployments across a range of acceptable investments. The Business Investor Work Visa is more focused on hands-on ownership and operation of a specific established business.
Portugal’s fund route is more passive, via a EUR 500,000 subscription into a CMVM-regulated fund with modest presence requirements. New Zealand’s path requires significantly more day-to-day involvement in a local company.
Yes. Businesses involving gambling, adult entertainment, tobacco, some franchises and certain convenience or fast-food outlets are typically excluded. Always check the latest official guidance.
US citizens and long-term residents are generally taxed on worldwide income. Moving to New Zealand does not automatically change that. Cross-border tax advice is essential.
Explorer does not offer legal, tax or immigration advice. We design and manage regulated investment solutions, such as Portuguese Golden Visa funds, and work alongside your chosen professional advisers.
The first step is an exploratory conversation about your objectives, timelines and risk appetite. From there, we can structure a portfolio centred on regulated funds and operating businesses, while your legal and tax teams shape the immigration and fiscal architecture.
New Zealand’s Business Investor Work Visa is a serious, operationally demanding route into one of the world’s most stable democracies. For US investors prepared to own and run a business, it can sit alongside a Portuguese Golden Visa fund allocation as part of a sophisticated multi-jurisdiction plan.
If you would like to understand how a New Zealand allocation could complement a EUR 500,000 investment into an Explorer-managed, CMVM-regulated fund in Portugal, our team can coordinate with your legal and tax advisers to map out the options.
Get personalized guidance on the fund process. Our Investor Relations team can clarify the steps, discuss Explorer's fund options, and connect you with trusted legal experts. Schedule your confidential, no-obligation consultation today.
André Bandeira
ab@explorerinvestments.com
Maria Campos Silva
mcs@explorerinvestments.com
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André Bandeira
ab@explorerinvestments.comMaria Campos Silva
mcs@explorerinvestments.comCopyright © 2025 Explorer Investments
It is recommended to consult Chapter V of Decree-Law nº 162/2014, of October 31st, published in the Official Gazette, as well as its revision by Law nº 2/2020, of March 31st. The information included here is of a general nature, and therefore each potential investor should seek independent advice (e.g., legal, financial, tax, etc.)