WELLINGTON, New Zealand—New Zealand's immigration minister, Erica Stanford, on Tuesday announced the country's business investor visa that provides a pathway to residency for migrants wanting to invest in and operate established businesses within its borders ... unless those businesses are in the adult entertainment arena.
According to local reports, the visa would be open for applications beginning in November 2025. Two pathways are available for applicants seeking the investor visa.
The standard pathway involves a $1 million investment in an existing business, with a work-to-residence pathway that lasts three years. The fast-track pathway would require a $2 million investment in an existing business, with a 12-month wait-for-residency period.
The requirements outlined by Stanford specify that the investment cannot go to an adult business, including websites and strip clubs.
Other business categories excluded from the scheme include drop-shipping businesses, fast food establishments, gambling, any sort of home-based business, immigration advisory services, and firms operating in the tobacco and nicotine spaces.
“This new visa will bring overseas investment to maintain and create jobs, grow incomes, and breathe new life into existing businesses across the country,” Stanford said via 1News.
