The Business Investor Visa Replaced the Entrepreneur Work Visa
On 27 August 2025 New Zealand closed the Entrepreneur Work Visa to new applications and announced the Business Investor Visa in its place. The Business Investor Visa opened on 24 November 2025. The old category still exists for renewals and for existing holders applying for residence, but nobody new can enter it.
Quick Facts
| Entrepreneur Work Visa closed to new applications | 27 August 2025 |
| Business Investor Visa announced | 27 August 2025 — the same day |
| Business Investor Visa opened | 24 November 2025 — open now |
| Business Investor Work Visa cost | NZ$12,380 — NZ$11,320 fee plus NZ$1,060 immigration levy |
| Business Investor Resident Visa cost | NZ$14,890 — NZ$11,320 fee plus NZ$3,570 immigration levy |
| Entrepreneur Work Visa fee line | Still listed at NZ$11,320 plus NZ$1,060 in the May 2026 Fees Guide — because renewals continue |
| Can existing holders transfer? | No. A fresh application and full fees are required |
| Separate product | Active Investor Plus remains New Zealand's high-value investor visa at NZ$27,470 |
| Shift in design | From building a business from scratch to buying into an established one |
What was closed
The Entrepreneur Work Visa was New Zealand's start-up route. It asked for a minimum of NZ$100,000 in capital, a scored business plan reaching at least 120 points across age, capital, business experience, benefit to New Zealand and location, and it ran as a 12-month start-up stage followed by a 24-month balance stage. The residence step behind it required NZ$500,000 invested and three or more jobs created.
It closed to new applications on 27 August 2025. Three things survive the closure:
- Applications already submitted are processed under the rules in force when they were lodged.
- Renewals remain available for existing holders who need more time to meet the residence requirements.
- The Entrepreneur Resident Visa remains open to existing Entrepreneur Work Visa holders.
That is why the Entrepreneur Work Visa still appears as a live fee line in Immigration New Zealand's May 2026 Fees Guide at NZ$11,320 plus a NZ$1,060 levy. A fee line in the schedule is not evidence that a category is open to new applicants — it means money can still change hands on it. See the Entrepreneur Work Visa and the Entrepreneur Resident Visa, explained.
Holders cannot transfer across. Moving from the old category to the Business Investor Visa requires a fresh application and full fees. There is no conversion.
What opened
The Business Investor Visa opened on 24 November 2025 and is built around a different idea: buy into an established New Zealand business rather than start one.
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Investment — standard tier | NZ$1 million into an established business → a 3-year work-to-residence pathway |
| Investment — higher tier | NZ$2 million → a 12-month fast track to residence |
| Settlement funds | A further NZ$500,000 in living and settlement funds |
| Ownership | At least 25% of the business |
| Target business | Trading at least 5 years, at least 5 full-time equivalent employees, and not used in an approved investor visa application in the past 10 years |
| Age | 55 or younger |
| Business experience | 3 years — self-employment or senior management |
| English | Must speak and understand English |
| Visa length | Up to 4 years — a 12-month establishment stage plus a 3-year operating stage — renewable once for up to 2 further years |
| Purchase evidence | Required within 9 months |
| Ongoing obligations | 184 days a year in New Zealand; create and sustain 1 new full-time job for a New Zealand citizen or resident; keep the business solvent |
Full detail sits at the Business Investor Visa, explained.
What actually changed, in one paragraph
The capital bar went from NZ$100,000 to NZ$1 million, and the job-creation bar went from three new jobs to one. New Zealand decided it would rather have someone buy a trading business with five staff and keep it running than have someone start a new business from nothing. The presence requirement is also much heavier: 184 days a year in New Zealand is more than half your life spent here, which the old category did not demand in that form.
What it costs, with the components shown
| Application | Fee | Immigration levy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Investor Work Visa | NZ$11,320 | NZ$1,060 | NZ$12,380 |
| Business Investor Resident Visa | NZ$11,320 | NZ$3,570 | NZ$14,890 |
| Entrepreneur Work Visa (renewals only) | NZ$11,320 | NZ$1,060 | NZ$12,380 |
| Active Investor Plus | NZ$12,070 | NZ$15,400 | NZ$27,470 |
Immigration New Zealand publishes a single "from" figure on most visa pages; the Fees Guide publishes the split, and the components behave differently. Note the Active Investor Plus line in particular: it is the only New Zealand immigration product where the levy exceeds the fee. See investor visa costs and fees.
There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026 — Immigration New Zealand's fee page still describes its rates as current "as of 1 October 2024".
What has not changed
- Active Investor Plus is a separate product and was not replaced. It was itself overhauled on 1 April 2025 into two categories: Growth, at NZ$5 million over 3 years, and Balanced, at NZ$10 million over 5 years. From 1 June 2026 the Growth category accepts philanthropy for up to 20% of the investment. See the Active Investor Plus visa, explained.
- Investor 1 and Investor 2 remain closed. They closed in 2022 and were formally discontinued in the April 2025 reforms.
- You still cannot buy residence outright. Every investor and business category attaches conditions — investment terms, presence requirements, health, character and a fit-and-proper-person test. See can I buy permanent residency in New Zealand?
- Health and character requirements are unchanged, including medicals and police certificates less than six months old.
What to do differently now
- Do not start an Entrepreneur Work Visa application. The category has been closed to new applicants since 27 August 2025.
- If you hold one, renewals and the Entrepreneur Resident Visa remain available to you. Moving to the Business Investor Visa would be a fresh application at full fees.
- Check the business, not just the money. The five-year trading history, five full-time equivalent employees, and the ten-year rule about prior use in an investor visa application are properties of the target business, and they are where applications fail.
- This is the part of the immigration system where general information runs out fastest. Business structure, ownership percentage and source-of-funds evidence are legal and commercial questions as much as immigration ones. A licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer is the right place for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the New Zealand Entrepreneur Work Visa still open?
No. It closed to new applications on 27 August 2025. Renewals remain available for existing holders, and the Entrepreneur Resident Visa remains open to them.
What replaced the Entrepreneur Work Visa?
The Business Investor Visa, announced on 27 August 2025 and opened on 24 November 2025. It is built around investing in an established New Zealand business rather than starting a new one.
How much does the Business Investor Visa cost?
The work visa is NZ$12,380 (NZ$11,320 fee plus NZ$1,060 levy) and the resident visa is NZ$14,890 (NZ$11,320 fee plus NZ$3,570 levy). Those are application costs only, separate from the NZ$1 million or NZ$2 million investment and the NZ$500,000 in settlement funds.
How much do I need to invest for a New Zealand business visa?
NZ$1 million into an established business for the three-year work-to-residence route, or NZ$2 million for the twelve-month fast track, plus NZ$500,000 in settlement funds. The Active Investor Plus visa is separate and starts at NZ$5 million.
Can I transfer from an Entrepreneur Work Visa to the Business Investor Visa?
Not by transfer. It requires a fresh application and full fees.
Why does the Entrepreneur Work Visa still appear in the fee guide?
Because renewals and existing-holder residence applications continue. A live fee line means payments are still being taken on that application type, not that the category accepts new entrants.
What is the difference between the Business Investor Visa and Active Investor Plus?
The Business Investor Visa requires you to buy into and run a specific established business, with a 184-day annual presence requirement. Active Investor Plus is a passive investment product at NZ$5 million or NZ$10 million with much lighter presence requirements. See investor visa options compared.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. New Zealand regulates immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007, and we do not assess anyone's individual circumstances. For advice about your own case, use a licensed immigration adviser or a New Zealand lawyer, and check the licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register.
