NZ residency through
qualifying investments.

How the AIP visa works

The Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa is New Zealand's primary pathway for high-net-worth investors seeking residency through capital deployment — the scheme international investors typically know as the New Zealand golden visa. The April 2025 settings replaced the earlier weighted-investment framework with two simple categories that reward more “active” asset classes: direct private equity, venture capital and growth-oriented managed funds qualify at the lower Growth threshold, while passive instruments such as listed equities and bonds sit in the larger Balanced category.

Two categories operate in parallel. The Growth category requires a minimum NZ$5 million invested in eligible higher-risk assets (direct investments, NZTE-listed managed funds, with philanthropy capped at 20%) held for 36 months, with at least 21 days spent in New Zealand during that period. The Balanced category requires NZ$10 million across a wider pool — direct investments, managed funds, listed equities, bonds, philanthropy and qualifying property developments — held for 60 months, with at least 105 days in New Zealand (reducible by 14 days per additional NZ$1 million placed in Growth-category assets, to a maximum 42-day reduction).

What counts as an acceptable investment

Immigration NZ relies on NZTE's approved managed-funds list as the primary source of pre-vetted vehicles. Funds appear on the list when their underlying portfolio meets thresholds for direct, productive NZ investment — typically venture capital, growth equity, infrastructure or scale-up managers. Direct investments outside the list are also permitted but require independent evidence of active management, NZ-based productive deployment and arm's-length terms. Bonds, term deposits and residential property held for personal use do not count toward the threshold; commercial property and development funds may qualify under the Balanced category subject to weighting.

Most applicants combine an NZTE-approved fund commitment with a tranche of direct investment or angel co-investment to hit the qualifying weighting. Wholesale Investor NZ's AIP-eligible funds directory shows which managers carry NZTE approval, the minimum investment per fund, the typical hold period and the asset-class profile — the four datapoints that drive most AIP application decisions. The same NZTE list grouped by asset class is available as AIP-eligible funds by strategy.

Important caveats

Visa rules change. The AIP framework was last materially revised in April 2025 and Immigration NZ updates the NZTE-approved fund list periodically. This page is informational only and does not constitute immigration or financial advice. Always confirm current settings with a licensed immigration adviser and review fund disclosure documents before committing capital. Wholesale investments carry higher risk than retail products and reduced regulatory protections — investors must meet the FMCA 2013 wholesale-investor criteria independent of the visa pathway.