New Zealand's Active Investor Plus Visa and Golden Visa

The Active Investor Plus Visa and Golden Visa programs serve a similar purpose. They grant residency to high-net-worth individuals in exchange for investment. So, this is residence by investment. The wealthy individuals can choose to physically move to a more favorable jurisdiction. Through this visa, they access full residence rights, including healthcare in that country. But, the two visas differ in investment structure, residency requirements, and intended impact on the economy.

Key Differences:

Investment Requirements & Structure
- Active Investor Plus Visa (New Zealand)
  - Requires 5 million– 15 million New Zealand dollars, depending on investment type.
  - Encourages direct investment into NZ businesses, startups, and managed funds.
  - Real estate investment is limited to new developments and commercial properties
- Golden Visa (Other Countries like Portugal, Spain, UAE, etc.)
  - Typically €250,000–€1 million+, varying by country.
  - Allows investment in real estate, government bonds, business projects, or funds.
  - Many programs heavily favor real estate investment, leading to speculation in housing markets.
Residency & Stay Requirements
- Active Investor Plus Visa
  - Requires the investor to spend time in New Zealand (21–105 days over 3–5 years).
  - Stronger focus on active participation in the local economy.
- Golden Visa
  - Often has low or no residency requirements (e.g., Portugal required just 7 days per year).
  - Designed for investors who want residency without relocating full-time.
Pathway to Citizenship
- Active Investor Plus Visa
  - Leads to New Zealand permanent residency and eventually citizenship if conditions are met.
- Golden Visa
  - Many Golden Visa holders use it as a backdoor to EU citizenship after 5–10 years.
  - Some countries (e.g., Ireland, Cyprus) scrapped their Golden Visas due to concerns over money laundering and lack of economic benefits.

Bottom Line:

New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus Visa is more selective and economy-focused than traditional Golden Visa programs. The requirements were recently changed to incentivize migrants to invest in New Zealand. Instead of just attracting property investors, it prioritizes direct business investment that creates jobs and fosters innovation. Albeit, this New Zealand’s “golden visa” has faced criticism for the investment amount. This amount is particularly high compared to other countries. In my opinion, they are akin to Australia’s Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP). The BIIP requires a minimum of 5 million Australian dollars in complying investments. But I guess, Australia’s population of abot 26.4 million is a bigger market compared to New Zealand’s 5.5 million people.