The Government’s business migration scheme offers two investment categories:
Investor Plus – minimum investment of $10 million for at least three years
Investor – minimum investment of $1.5 million for at least four years.
Some of the key changes to the business migration scheme includes:
Reducing the residence requirements for Investor Plus migrants during the three year investment period from 73 days to 44 days per annum.
Investment opportunities will be expanded by allowing migrants to invest in entities established by parent organisations to raise funds. Migrants will also be allowed to invest in bank bonds and equities.
More flexibility is being provided around the requirement for business experience. Instead of previously having to meet both conditions, business migrants only need to meet one of the following criteria - to have owned or managed a business with five full time employees OR to have owned or managed a business with a minimum $1m in annual turnover.
Migrants will be allowed to transfer funds through foreign exchange companies which recognises the emerging international trend in funds transfer.
Residential property is to be included as an acceptable investment. Safeguards are required so that residential property investments create economic growth and increase the total housing stock available to New Zealanders
