The Global Investor Visa comes under the New Zealand’s Active Investor Migrant Category. With this type of visa, individuals are allowed to take the residence in New Zealand and contribute to the country’s economy through financial investment.

Like any other visa category, applicants under the Global Investor Visa category are also bound to meet a number of basic requirements. The Immigration New Zealand requires an individual to meet these prerequisites in order to be eligible to obtain a visa. First of all, there is no age requirement for this visa category. But, the principal applicant, as well as his/her partner, and dependents of 16-year-old or over are required to meet minimum English language standards. However, the principal applicant may pay for English tuition of his dependents and they will be granted visa as part of his application.

Besides, the applicant is required to invest at least NZ$20 million, with $5 million in active investment. After an applicant’s investor residence is approved, he/she will required to actually invest the funds in a satisfactory investment for four years in New Zealand. Apart, the applicant will need to spend at least seventy-three days each year in New Zealand during second, third and fourth years of the investment period.

When an individual is issued a Global Investor Visa, he/she is provided with conditional permanent residence (read section 18A, Immigration Act 1987). The aforesaid section states that under conditional permanent residence, the individual must retain the investment funds in New Zealand for 4 years. It also states that the individual must spend 20 percent of each year in the country. The conditional permit is converted to ‘unconditional’ once all these requirements are fulfilled!