NZ VISA

Requirements – Long Term Business Category

If you want to work in your own business in New Zealand, and you have business
experience relevant to the business you wish to buy or establish, you can apply
for a long term business visa as a step towards gaining residence in New
Zealand through one our Entrepreneur categories.

To have your application approved under the Long Term Business Category,
there are a number of requirements you need to meet, and everyone included in
your application will have to meet our health, character, and English language
requirements.

Your business
You will need to submit a sound business plan, and show relevant knowledge
about the New Zealand business environment, and how your intended
business venture will benefit New Zealand, as well as providing evidence
about your relevant business experience.

Funds
You will also need to have enough funds (apart from the funds you plan to invest
in your business) to support yourself and (if applicable) your partner and children
for the duration of your long term business visa.

Initial nine-month work visa and balance of three years

If we approve your application, in the first instance we’ll grant you a work visa
that expires after nine months. This allows you the time to take steps to
establish your business. Before the nine months have expired you will need to
provide evidence to show you are making reasonable progress in setting up your
business. If approved, you will be granted a further work visa to take your stay
up to a total of three years.

Find out more and apply

If you think you meet the requirements, find out more about how to apply.

If you would prefer not to work full-time in your business, you might like to find
out about our categories for investors.
I’m already here as a Visitor
Here you’ll find some answers to questions you may have while you’re visiting
New Zealand. If you have other specific questions, you can always contact
us directly.

Maybe your circumstances or plans have changed? Maybe you’re enjoying the
New Zealand experience so much you want to stay? View our questions and
answers to find out how your stay as a visitor is affected.

Maybe you’d like to live in New Zealand permanently and want to know the
options for becoming a resident.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/invest/entrepreneur/default.htm
Pathway to residence for entrepreneurs
Pathways to residence are available for migrants who can demonstrate they
have been actively participating in their business and contributing to New
Zealand’s economic development. There are two categories:

• Entrepreneur Category
• Entrepreneur Plus Category.

Entrepreneur Category
If you have successfully established a business in New Zealand, and you have
been 'self-employed' in that business for at least two years, and your business
has benefited New Zealand, you may be eligible for residence in New Zealand
under the Entrepreneur Category.

The first step towards becoming a New Zealand resident under this category is
usually to obtain a long term business visa in order to be able to work in your
business.

Entrepreneur Plus Category

Under this category there is no minimum time requirement for which you must
have operated your business, and it provides a faster track to residence if you:

• hold a long-term business visa

• have successfully established a business in New Zealand
• have been 'self-employed' in that business
• have invested at least NZ$0.5 million in the business, and
• have created a minimum of three new full-time jobs for New Zealand
citizens or residents.
Compare the basic criteria of the two Entrepreneur
residence categories
Criteria (minimum) Entrepreneur Category
Unspecified. You will need to
demonstrate that you have
Investment capital
sufficient capital to start your
business
You must have business
Business experience experience relevant to your
business proposal
English language IELTS 4
Maximum age None
Benefit to New Zealand According to business plan
Time required in New Self-employed in New Zealand
Zealand in the business for two years
Minimum of two years and
maximum of three years after
Length of time to
obtaining approval under Long
residence
Term Business Work
Instructions
Applicants under both categories
Health and character
must meet health and character requirements.
Entrepreneur Plus Category
At least $NZ0.5m while
holding initial nine-month long
term business visa
You must have business
experience relevant to your
business proposal
IELTS 4
None
At least three new FTE (full-
time equivalent) jobs created
for New Zealanders. These
must be new jobs in addition
to positions already existing in
the business.
Self-employed in New Zealand
in the business for two years
working (Inclusive of time
spent on LTBV)
Residence can be granted
(with conditions) once
requirements met and while
holding a long term business
visa

For both categories you will need to show that your business complies with New
Zealand employment and immigration law. Some requirements are different
(mainly for English language and benefit to New Zealand) if you:

• have been on a long-term business permit approved (or approved in

principle) before 20 November 2002, or
• have renewed your long-term business permit that was originally
approved (or approved in principle) before that date.

Requirements

• See the Entrepreneur Plus requirements.

• See the Entrepreneur requirements.
Long Term Business Category
If you are an experienced business person interested in being self-employed in
your own business in New Zealand, applying for a work visa under the Long
Term Business Category may be an option for you.
A work visa under the Long Term Business Category will enable you to move to
New Zealand and buy or establish your own business. It could be the first step on
your pathway to applying for residence in New Zealand under one of
our Entrepreneur categories.

Once your Long Term Business application is approved, you will initially be given
a nine-month work visa, enabling you to buy or establish your business in New
Zealand. Within that nine months, or as soon as you have taken steps to
establish your business, you can apply for a further work visa for the balance of
three years.

Find out more about the requirements for approval.

Welcome to Immigration New Zealand – Business Migration
Branch
The Business Migration Branch (BMB) is located in Wellington, and processes all
applications received under the business immigration categories.

• See our processing times to find out how long we'll take to deal with your
application.
• Contact details.
• Opening hours.
• We've put together a useful links page for general information on starting
a business or investing in New Zealand.

For information on the different business immigration categories see our invest
pages.

If you are interested in becoming an accredited employer, see the Employ

section of our website (see also a list of employers already accredited).

Opening hours over the holiday period - Christmas 2010

Tuesday, 14 December 2010
The Business Migration branch will be closing for the Christmas holiday period at
12 noon on Friday 24th December 2010. We will be open again on Wednesday
5th January 2011 at 9:00am.
Business Migration Branch Processing times
Business applications
We aim to process all applications within this category (Long Term Business
Visa, Investor, Entrepreneur, Employee of a Relocating Business, Parent
Retirement Category) within the following timeframes:

• 75% decided within three months from lodgement

• 90% decided within six months from lodgement

Employer accreditation
We aim to process all applications to do with this category (Accreditation,
Renewal of Accreditation and Residence applications) within the following
timeframes:

• 90% decided within three months from lodgement

• 99% decided within six months from lodgement
Contact us by phone
Where are you calling from? Telephone
United Kingdom 09069 100 100
Outside New Zealand, but not United Kingdom +64 9 914 4100
Auckland, New Zealand 09 914 4100
New Zealand, but not Auckland 0508 558 855

Our branches
All of our onshore and offshore branches have their own webpages which
contain both branch-related and region-specific information.

New Zealand Branches

Compliance
Auckland Business Migration Christchurch
Operations

Immigration Profiling
Contact Centre Dunedin Hamilton
Group

Pacific Division
Onshore Border Palmerston North Queenstown
(Auckland)

Recognised Refugee Status

Resolutions Team Wellington
Seasonal Employer Branch

Welcome to Queenstown branch

The Queenstown office of Immigration New Zealand employs four staff

responsible for processing temporary entry applications. As well as servicing the
Queenstown area, the office manages applications for the Wanaka area.

Residence applications for the Otago and Southland region are processed by our
Christchurch branch.
How long can I stay?
The maximum stay under a visitor visa is nine months. Visa-free visitors are
initially granted a three month visitor visa (or six if you are from the United
Kingdom), you will need to apply for a further visitor visa if you wish to stay
longer in New Zealand.

We usually only allow visitors to stay for nine months in an 18-month

period. To work this out, we look at the last day that you intend to be in New
Zealand (eg 1 July 2009), and count back 18 months from there (eg 1 January
2008). When you apply for a visa in one of our branches, we make sure that in
that 18-month period (eg 1 January 2008 – 1 July 2009) you will not be spending
more than nine months in New Zealand.

Arriving at the border visa-free

If you are a visa-free visitor, you apply for a visa at the border by filling in your
arrival card. You will be allowed to stay for three months (or six months if from
the United Kingdom) on each visit, and no more than six months in any 12-month
period. So we will look at what date your visit will end and count back 12 months
from there. We then make sure that in that 12-month period (eg 1 July 2008 – 1
July 2009) you will not be spending more than six months in New Zealand.

If you decide while you are in New Zealand you wish to stay longer, you
should contact us.

Visitor Visa or Permit

In general, visitors to New Zealand who do not intend to work may apply for visitor
visa/permits of up to 9 months (in any 18-month period) and might be allowed to
stay for a total of 12 months.

Citizens of some countries do not need to apply for a visitor visa, if they are planning
to visit New Zealand for up to 3 months only.
 New Zealand Visa Requirements ** Hot Deals

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What Is A New Zealand Visitor's Visa And Visitor's Permit? Bargains, Free Offers an
A Visitor's Visa is: Travel Deal

• An endorsement you get in your passport to allow you to travel to New Zealand Guided Wal
for the purpose of visiting; or
• An endorsement you get in your passport if you are already in New Zealand
and wish to travel overseas and then return back to New Zealand for the
purpose of visiting.
The Visitor's Visa shows you have permission to travel to New Zealand and
may be granted a Visitor's Permit when you arrive. The visa may be for a
single (for one journey) or multiple (for more than one journey) entry.

If you are from these countries you do not need a visa:

You do not need a visa or permit to visit New Zealand if you are:

• A New Zealand citizen or Resident Permit holder; or New

• An Australian citizen or resident who holds a current Australian resident return Scenic West Coast p
visa. backdrop to many of th
walks. From a few ho
Or if you are a citizen of one of the following countries which have visa walking tour
waiver agreements with New Zealand, you do not need to apply for a
Visitor Visa if you plan to visit New Zealand for 3 months or less.
Andorra Argentina Austria
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Bahrain Belgium Brazil
Brunei Canada Chile
Denmark Finland France Spend $200 here and get a
Germany Greece Hong Kong*** Shopping Trolley
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Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia
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Malta Mexico Monaco
Nauru Norway Netherlands Select Currency:
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Uruguay USA** Vatican City shopping process?
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* Portuguese passports holders must have the right to live permanently in
Portugal.
** Includes US nationals from American Samoa and Swains Island.
*** Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports. People
travelling on a United Nations (UN) laissez-passer
British Citizens and Passport Holders:
If you are a British citizen or are a British passport holder and have
evidence of the right to live permanently in the United Kingdom, you may
be granted a Visitor's Permit valid for 6 months on arrival.
If you do not need a visa (see above) then you still need the
following:

• hold a valid ticket to a country you have the right of entry to; and
• have sufficient money to support yourself during your stay; and
• hold a passport valid for 3 months beyond the date you are leaving New
Zealand; and
only wish to visit New Zealand for the time granted on arrival. This is usually 3
months or 6 months if you are a British Passport Holder. (if you wish to visit for
a longer period you will need to apply for a Visitor's Visa).

What is a visitors permit:

• An endorsement in your passport which allows you to remain in New Zealand

for the purpose of visiting. It will state the expiry date of the permit. This is the
date by which you need to have left New Zealand
• All visitors get one of these stamped into your passport when you arrive in New
Zealand.

A Visitor's Permit will allow you to:

• visit as a tourist;
• visit friends and family;
• study (one course of no more than three months duration);
• play sport (in a tournament of no more than three months duration);
• make a business trip (of no more than three months duration);
• undertake medical treatment.

How Do I Apply For A Visitor's Visa Or Permit?

Visitor's Visa and Permit requirements are found in theApplication for
Visiting New Zealand form.
Offices to which you send your application form can be found
at: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/offices/
When Do I Apply For A Visitor's Visa?
You may apply for a Visitor's Visa if:

• You are outside New Zealand and need a Visa to travel to New Zealand.
• You need to re-enter New Zealand.
• You are a citizen from a Visa Free country but wish to stay longer than
the set time granted on arrival.

When Do I Apply For A Visitor's Permit?

You may apply for a Visitor's Permit if:

• You are in New Zealand as a visitor and wish to stay longer.

• You are a worker and wish to holiday after your employment.
• You are a student and wish to holiday after your course.

Note: You do not need a medical Certificate or a police certificate if you

are visiting New Zealand for less than 2 years.
If you do wish to know more about these certificates then please go to
medical and x-ray certificate.
Or information on how to obtain a police certificate from most countries
may be found in Obtaining A Police Certificatebooklet.
Medical Insurance
As a visitor you are not entitled to publicly funded health services unless
you are:

• A resident or a citizen of Australia.

• A national of the United Kingdom.
• Holding a temporary permit valid for two years or more.

If you do not belong to one of these special categories and you receive
medical treatment during your stay, you will be liable to pay the full costs
of that treatment.
We strongly recommend that you have medical insurance for the duration
of your visit.
How Long Can I Stay In New Zealand?
Visitors to New Zealand may stay a total of nine months in an 18
month period.
If you stay in New Zealand for a total of nine months in the last 18
months, you will be required to remain out of New Zealand for nine
months before returning as a visitor.
You may, however, qualify for a further three month extension to your
visitor permit after spending the maximum of nine months in New Zealand
if:

• You have financially supported yourself and you have not been sponsored.
• You have lodged a first-time application for residence that has been accepted
for consideration, and a decision is unlikely during the currency of your existing
permit.
• You cannot leave New Zealand because of circumstances beyond your control.

If you stay a total of 12 months in the last 24 months, you will be required
to remain out of New Zealand for 12 months before you can return as a
visitor.
Could I Be Refused A Visa Or Permit?

Your visa or permit can be refused if:

• You do not meet the entry requirements.

• You are not a genuine applicant for a visitor visa or permit.
• You are a person to whom section 7 of the Immigration Act 1987 applies and
you do not have an exemption.

Where Can I Get More Information And Advice?

You can get more information from:
• NZ Immigration Service Web Site
• Contact an Immigration Service Centre
• New Zealand Diplomatic and Consular Offices
• New Zealand Immigration Service Branch Offices
• Guide for Visiting New Zealand
• Application for Visiting New Zealand
• New Zealand Immigration Service Operational Manual