Revamped New Zealand Investor Visa Eyes Record Year as Gov’t Limits Bank Deposits

Moustafa Daly
Cairo

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Under the new rules, 75% of investor visa funds must be in liquid and market assets, rather than “sitting idle in deposit accounts,” says James Hall.

The New Zealand government has updated the requirements for its Active Investor Plus Visa to refine investment structures and increase the program’s contribution to the national economy.

The updates come as New Zealand’s restructured Active Investor Plus Visa seems to be gaining momentum. Since its overhaul in April, the program has drawn 168 applications, representing a potential NZ$1 billion (US$600 million) investment pipeline.

In just two months, confirmed investments reached NZ$25 million (approximately US$15 million), signaling a significant improvement over the previous system.

The earlier version of the visa, plagued by complex requirements and high investment thresholds, received only 35 applications over a two-year period.

New Investment Rules to Boost Financial Markets

The new rules require investors to allocate at least 75% of funds to equities or high-grade bonds, and to hold no more than 25% in bank accounts or term deposits.

This replaces the previous framework, which allowed investors to hold up to 100% of their investments in bank deposits for up to six months.

The changes also introduce more flexibility for property investments, enabling visa holders to invest in New Zealand companies involved in property development.

James Hall, Director at ANZ Migrate, says the 75/25 investment rule ensures better utilization of investor capital. He explains that on-call investments serve as a ‘parking spot’ for investor visa funds, but the government wants to steer these funds toward active investment opportunities “rather than sitting idle in deposit accounts.”

The changes resolve what Hall describes as a “minor inefficiency” in the previous framework, where investors could keep all their committed funds in low-yield bank deposits for months while awaiting capital calls.

Hall believes the new rules will have limited impact on investor behavior, noting that the six-month deposit limitation already existed under the old system and continues to apply in the updated framework. Investors also retain up to 12 months from their approval in principle to complete their investments.

For most investors, he adds, the shift from full deposit access to a 75/25 split will likely be seen as a “minor administrative adjustment” rather than a meaningful change in investment strategy.