Requirements Of The New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa Program
To qualify for residence, applicants must fulfill all of the following requirements:
The following assets may be invested into and will be weighted accordingly to meet the NZD 15 million investment threshold:
- Direct investments into approved businesses. These will be given a 3x weighting
- Investments into approved managed funds . These will be given a 2x weighting
- Investment into listed equities and philanthropy. These will be given a 1x weighting
How Do I Choose The Right Property
Once you know where you want to move, youll need to find a specific property to suit your needs. Here are some factors to consider.
Property types
It helps to know the local phrasing when youre considering buying a place overseas. Even with a shared language, there can be some differences in the wording when it comes to property descriptions.
In New Zealand youll find properties described as attached or standalone. As you might imagine, attached options include apartments and townhouses. Standalone options are more likely to be landed properties and single family homes. Its helpful to know that land purchased for building on is known as a section in New Zealand. If youre planning on building a place youll need to look carefully at the zoning of the land as some areas can not be developed easily, as well as any permissions needed to buy as a foreigner.
Condition of the property
Before you finally decide on a place to buy, youll want to check the condition of the property to ensure there are no major works required. Youll be able to do this using a property inspection. Your real estate agent should recommend a few different property inspection companies to you, for you to select the one you want to use.
Theres lots of helpful advice on the New Zealand Governments Settled webpages covering this and other essential home buying topics.
Other things to look out for
Incentives For Investments In Shares And Fund Units
| Incentive | Investor 2 program | |
|---|---|---|
| Changing the conditions of residing in the country | If you invest from $2,500,000 NZ, you can spend the required 88 days in New Zealand at any time during three years of participation in the program | If you invest from $750,000 NZ, you can spend less time in New Zealand: 438 days within four years of the program |
| Reducing the amount of investment | If you invest from $1,500,000 NZ, the total investment amount can be reduced by half a million up to $2,500,000 NZ |
Investments in residential real estate involve the construction of objects,e.g. residential complexes or neighborhoods, with a high level of investor involvement in the process. When submitting an application, the investor provides:
- Business plan of the project.
- Contracts with a construction company and subcontractors.
- Required permits obtained from local authorities.
- Work schedule, marketing plans.
- Payment schedule, if the money will not be paid immediately, but in parts.
Investments in commercial real estate involve the purchase of commercial properties or land for commercial development. If an investor plans to build a new facility, he needs to submit a project plan and obtain permission from the state. The costs of obtaining permits are not included in the investment amount.
Not suitable for real estate investments:
- buying real estate for reconstruction
- buying a home for yourself and your family
- buying real estate for rent.
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Procedures And Time Frame Of New Zealand Residence By Investment
Applications must include completed application forms and should be accompanied by the appropriate fees and supporting documents. The processing time is eight to nine months from submission of the application to approval.
Investments can be made across three years . After four years of keeping their funds in New Zealand, if they meet the requirements for minimum time spent in the country, investors can apply for permanent residence. After the four-year period and meeting the investment and time-in-country requirements, residents can support their parents application under the Parent Retirement category.
If families are included in the resident visa, they are required to go to New Zealand within 12 months of their visa being granted but are not required to remain in New Zealand for any minimum length of time. Family members aged 16 and over are also required to meet English language requirements, or they can choose to pre-purchase ESOL tuition to be undertaken once in New Zealand.
Property Investment Nz: Beginners Guide To Buying Rental Property
I have owned investment property since 2006. I have learnt a fair bit in that time and I wanted to share more information on this blog.
I need to reinforce the fact that I am not a professional nor a financial advisor, Im just an investor sharing my own experiences and some tips and tricks along the way.
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What Is A Stock Market Index
To understand an index fund, its important to know what an index is. A market index is normally a collection of stocks that are listed on a stock exchange. New Zealands most well-known index is the NZX 50, which consists of New Zealands largest 50 companies by market capitalisation. The Wall Street alternative is the S& P 500 index, which includes the top 500 listed companies in the US.
Youll notice these indices are frequently cited in the media because investors use them to track the overall performance of a market. They rise and fall depending on a range of economic indicators and company news. For example, when an economy is healthy, its stock market indices tend to rise because investors feel more confident buying stocks. If trade tensions increase between countries, stock market indices usually fall as investors become nervous.
Can I Get A Mortgage As A Non
Its become increasingly difficult for foreigners to get local mortgages in New Zealand. Speculators believe that the main reasons are:
- To cool down the market
- To avoid that New Zealand debts are bound to foreigners, and not to people in New Zealand as it should be
- Avoid conflicts with other countries
- To avoid money laundering
I recommend you to call a local bank in New Zealand to get up-to-date information. You should also consider applying for an overseas loan in your home country if needed.
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No Account Or Transaction Fees No Hidden Fees
We wont charge you anything to use InvestNow. The only fees youll pay are the fund charges that come directly from the funds you invest in these are charged by the fund manager, not us. Furthermore, the fund charges for funds on InvestNow are the same as you would experience investing directly with any of our fund managers.
Where Should I Buy Property In New Zealand
Lets have a look at some of the most interesting places to buy property in New Zealand.
Auckland
Asians tend to like big cities like Sydney, London, and New York, although they have the opportunity to enjoy greater price appreciations in smaller cities.
The same as for Auckland, which is the biggest and most bustling city in New Zealand. Many people dont even know that Auckland was the capital of New Zealand until 1965.
Whether you want to live in Auckland during the holidays or let your children study there, I can assure you that you wont be bored.
Auckland is the most pricey, but also the most enjoyable city in New Zealand.
Wellington
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, but much smaller compared to Auckland, with more than 400,000 people.
The city is famous for being cozier, less bustling, and with friendly people.
The prices have not risen as much in Wellington, compared to Auckland, which makes it an attractive choice for many investors.
If you decide to invest in New Zealand, go to the big cities that have a bigger population, jobs, and attract foreigners.
Christchurch
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What Documents Do Investors Need
Investors must submit the following documents to apply for the New Zealand Residency by Investment Program:
The investor needs to undergo a medical examination by a doctor who can send an official opinion to New Zealand. You can find the nearest doctor on the official website of the program.
Cash Deposits And Term Deposits
What are they?
- Cash in the bank means you put money into an interest-earning bank account or term deposit .
- Most banks offer interest-earning bank accounts, but better returns are earned from term deposits. You decide how long you invest for, with anything from 1 month to 5 years being offered.
Difficulty to invest and manage: Risk:Potential return:Pros & Cons
- Pros: Relatively safe – you get back what you invest, in addition to the interest earned. Also, you’ll have ready access to money – you can withdraw from a bank account at any time .
- Cons: Relatively low returns interest rates are at record lows in New Zealand so you wont earn more than 1% to 2% per year after tax which is close to the inflation level.
How to start investing in cash and term deposits:
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What Are The Risks Of Index Funds
- You could lose your money. Like any investment, you take the bad with the good. When an index does well, your investment delivers profitable returns, but when an index drops, so does your investment.
- Its not a short-term plan. Passive funds perform best over many years. If you invest in an index fund but find you need the money six months later, theres a good chance youll have less than you started with.
- Not all assets are safe. Although many index funds track relatively safe major indices, technically any pool of assets can be bundled into a fund. Some index funds track volatile global markets, such as the oil sector, while others bundle in riskier investment assets. Always do your homework.
- Not all ETFs are index funds. ETFs come in all shapes and sizes and not all are passively managed. Some are highly complex and risky. You can read more about different kinds of ETFs here.
Debt Management Website Disclaimer
The information on this website is issued by New Zealand Debt Management for informational purposes. To the extent that this website refers to an offer of securities, no offer is made to anyone accessing this website outside of New Zealand and otherwise than in compliance with any applicable securities laws or regulations.
Nominal Bonds, Inflation-Indexed Bonds and Treasury Bills: Wholesale domestic government debt securities, including nominal bonds, inflation-indexed bonds and Treasury bills cannot be purchased directly from New Zealand Debt Management by individuals. Only registered tender counterparties who participate in a Government Securities tender process are able to purchase Government Securities from New Zealand Debt Management. Any offer documents provided or contained on this website relating to Government Securities contain an offer to registered tender counterparties only.
Where Government Securities are offered on the secondary market to any person in any jurisdiction, such Government Securities are not offered, and must not be bought or sold, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with any applicable securities laws or regulations.
Users accessing this website from outside New Zealand acknowledge and accept that they will comply with any applicable securities laws or regulations.
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If You Are Investing In Bonds
- Bonds should be issued by the New Zealand government or local bodies authorized to do so.
- Bonds should be issued by those companies that are listed on NZDX.
- Bonds should have a minimum rating of BBB- they should be rated by any international rating agency of repute.
- Investments in bonds issued by New Zealand banks are also an acceptable investment option.
- Investments in bonds of New Zealand based finance companies are also acceptable.
How Much Do I Need To Invest In New Zealand To Get A Permanent Residence
When you apply for permanent residency in New Zealand, you are required to demonstrate that you have the intention of remaining here permanently. You have at least one million New Zealand dollars invested in New Zealand, and this investment has been there for at least two years.
Documents from the bank, property deeds and reports, documentation pertaining to ownership of the company, and valuation reports and share certificates are some examples of acceptable evidence of the worth and ownership of monies and/or assets.
Read additional information regarding acceptable investment evidence:
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An Introduction To Citizenship By Investment
Principal grounds for acquiring citizenship are birth within a certain territory, descent from a citizen parent, marriage to a citizen, and naturalization. The conditions under which the privilege of naturalization is granted vary from state to state, but family relationships or lengthy periods of residence are usually essential, besides character and other requirements. While residence is granted to investors and wealthy individuals in most countries, there are currently only 11 countries that offer citizenship by investment programs that provide a direct route to citizenship based on investment and that have passed Henley & Partners country due diligence: Austria, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Jordan, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and Türkiye. The programs of Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts and Nevis have been designed by Henley & Partners under relevant government mandates.
Other countries offer a route to citizenship following a reasonable period of residence, such as Australia, Canada, Greece, Portugal, Singapore, the UK, and the USA.
Contact A Business Broker
Business brokers will generally have several businesses on their books for sale at any one time. Some specialise in particular sectors and will be able to offer industry advice and opportunities. Remember however that brokers work for the seller, and that the better the sale price, the better their commission.
To find a business broker visit the online business brokers directory on nzbizbuysell or simply search online for business brokers in New Zealand.
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Why Invest In Us Stocks
There are many reasons for New Zealand investors to own stocks listed in the US. The New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ, both based in New York, are the two largest stock exchanges in the world in terms of market capitalisation, offering access to a diverse range of companies.
While trading on the NZX allows you to invest in roughly 200 companies and ETFs, trading on the US stock market offers access to over 3,500 investments. The combined value of the NYSE and NASDAQ was over US$44 trillion as of July 2022.
Investing in global companies was once a costly exercise. Today, many trading sites allow New Zealand investors to buy and sell shares in the US and other international markets. This means you can access major global growth companies that arent available in New Zealand, such as the worlds biggest tech companies, often referred to as the FAANG group , , Apple, Netflix and Alphabet .
The main downside of investing in US shares is the cost. You may have to pay higher brokerage fees than for trading NZ shares, and youll also have to pay to convert NZD to USD. This currency conversion fee is usually included in the overall exchange rate the share trading platform offers.
How Property Makes Money
Most of us have rented a home in our lifetime. We pay a weekly or monthly amount to a landlord or property manager and in exchange, we are able to use the property for a contracted amount of time.
As renters or tenants, we dont have to worry about things like building insurance, council rates or building maintenance.
Your obligations as a tenant are to keep the property tidy, pay your rent on time and return the property to the condition it was when you moved in .
The landlord has to cover mortgage payments, council rates, building insurance, maintenance and repairs, improvements and property management fees out of the rent received.
In the early days of buying a new property, costs will eat up almost all of the rent received.
As time goes on rents increase and the landlord pays down the mortgage, so the amount leftover grows.
This difference between income and holding costs is how the property investor makes money.
Most investors will use equity to borrow again and repeat the process over and over again.
Now if you know a bit about property, you might be screaming at your computer screen right now.
Thats not how it works for me, what is she talking about?!?!.
Thats because when it comes to property investment NZers have varying opinions of what constitutes an investment.
I like to stick to the best and most accurate description of investment:
the act of putting money or effort into something to make a profit or achieve a result
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Which Options Are Right For You
The options you should invest in depends on a lot of things such as your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and how long you are investing for. For example, those putting money away to buy a house should stick to bank deposits to preserve their capital, while those investing for decades and have a higher risk tolerance might be better off investing in shares to grow their money over the long term.
The Investor Kickstarter tool on Sorted.org.nz provides a good starting point to help you determine what kind of investments are right for you. You may want to speak with a financial adviser for investment advice better tailored to your personal circumstances.
What Is An Etf
Exchange Traded Funds are one of the fastest growing investment products in the world.
ETFs are bought and sold on stock exchanges like regular shares. ETFs typically contain a portfolio of securities designed to track specific indices, such as the biggest 10 or 20 listed companies on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges.
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