Please click the category on the left to view Requirements and our Comments, Recommendations and Suggestions for each category
This is a temporary work visa that allows you to migrate to New Zealand and establish your own business.
- The business you establish must be relevant to a business you already own and manage in your own country.
You will qualify for permanent resident status after 2 years if:
- The New Zealand business you have established is profitable. It should have sales revenue of at least NZ$ 150,000 (RMB 900,000); and
- You have physically lived in New Zealand for most of the 2 years.
| English language | You must speak english to level 5.0 for IELTS. You cannot purchase an English language training course to avoid the requirement to have a 5.0 IELTS pass. |
| Qualifications | This category does not have a specific requirement for tertiary qualifications but it is helpful if you have tertiary qualifications relevant to your business. |
| Work Experience | You must have owned and managed a business that was profitable. Although there is no specific requirement we consider your business should have had annual sales of at least NZ$ 300,000 (RMB 1,800,000). |
| Age | There is no minimum or maximum age. However it is unlikely people who are younger than 25 or older than 55 would be approved. |
| Assets | You will need to prove that you own your own business and provide relevant tax documents from the tax department. |
| Investment | You should be able to invest a minimum of NZ$ 150,000 (RMB 900,000) in your New Zealand business as well as be able to transfer to New Zealand an additional NZ$ 100,000 (RMB 600,000). This will include personal funds for you to live on. |
| Legal Earnings | You should be able to prove that you have legal earnings of NZ$ 250,000 (RMB 1,500,000). |
Comments, Recommendations and Suggestions
The LTBV policy was extremely popular through to November 2002 when the policy was changed and English language was made compulsory. The majority of applicants came from China and Korea and with most of them did not speak English so the LTBV was no longer suitable for such applicants.
We also have noted that many applicants who did succeed with their applicants have since struggled to successfully establish their business. Consequently the Government has refused to extend their LTBV’s or grant them residence under the Entrepreneur category.
We recommend that anyone wanting to apply for LTBV needs to consider very carefully the sort of business they want to establish. One of the safest options is to buy into an existing business with an already established history of operational success.
It is also recommended that you visit New Zealand before you make an application. Applicants who have not visited New Zealand and researched the planned business will probably be declined.
We also believe that an application is unlikely to be approved unless the capital investment in the business is at least $NZ 250,000 and will employ at least 2 other persons.
Applications are currently taking 8 to 12 months to be processed.
This visa allows a person to migrate to New Zealand as a permanent resident to work for their current employer.
- The employer must be a substantive business in their own country and not have any business operations already operating in New Zealand
- The applicant must be a key employee of the employer
- The business must contribute to New Zealand's economic growth by:
- Introducing new skills or technology to New Zealand; or
- Introducing new products or services; or
- Expand export markets; or
- Employ New Zealanders;
Warning
- We do not recommend that anyone apply for this category at the moment.
- The policy now requires that the NZIS will submit the all applications to Trade New Zealand and to be approved the application MUST be support by Trade New Zealand.
- Trade New Zealand have decided that they will not support any application if it is bringing in a capital investment of less than NZ$50,000,000.
- Please note that this is not stated anywhere in the immigration policy. It is also not stated anywhere in the Trade New Zealand website. The only time an applicant will discover this “defacto” requirement for capital investment of $50,000,000 is when the application is declined.
- Application are currently taking 8 to 12 months to be processed.
This visa allows you to migrate to New Zealand as a permanent resident.
To qualify for this visa you must:
- Invest $NZ 2,000,000 in New Zealand with the New Zealand Government for a period of 5 years.
| English language | You must speak english to level 5.0 for IELTS. You cannot purchase an English language training course to avoid the requirement to have a 5.0 IELTS pass. |
| Qualifications | This category does not have a specific requirement for tertiary qualifications but it is helpful if you have tertiary qualifications relevant to your business. |
| Work Experience | You must have at least 5 years of senior management experience or business ownership. |
| Age | You should be younger than 45 years of age. If you are older than 45 then the required investment is higher. |
| Assets | You will need to prove that you own your own business and provide relevant tax documents from the tax department. |
| Investment | You must invest $NZ 2,000,000 in New Zealand with the New Zealand Government for a period of 5 years. |
| Legal Earnings | You should be able to prove that you have legal earnings of NZ$ 1,000,000 (RMB 6,000,000). |
| Transfer Funds | You must be able to transfer the assets declared in your application to prove that you have a minimum net worth of NZ$ 1,000,000. |
This visa allows you to migrate to New Zealand as a permanent resident.
It is a points-based system, however, even if you reach the required points level most applicants will be required to have a valid job offer from a New Zealand employer.
Before you can apply an applicant must complete the "Expression of Interest" form.
| Age | You must be under 55 when you apply. |
| English language | All applicants must have a minimum of 6.5 for the IELTS test. |
| Qualifications | Applicants must have a recognised tertiary or trade qualifications relevant to the applicant's nominated occupation. |
| Job Offer | Applicants are usually required to have a valid job offer. The job offer must be relevant to the applicant's qualifications or work experience. If your qualification is for an occupation that requires registration in New Zealand then the application must obtain registration with the relevant occupational authority before an application can be made. |
| Absolute skill shortage | If your qualification or job offer is listed on the "Absolute Skill Shortage" list or the "Priority Occupation" list then you will gain additional points. |
| Work Experience | Points are awarded for work experience over 2 years if the work experience is relevant to the job offer or relevant to the applicant's qualifications. |
| Spouse or partner | You can gain points if your spouse/partner has qualifying skills, qualifications or a job offer. |
It is not possible to determine if a person can qualify for residence under this category until the applicant completes a detailed questionnaire.
Comments, Recommendations and Suggestions
- NZ Standard List Of Occupation (NZSCO):
This list is used by the NZIS as the definitive document for determining the nature of job, its relevancy to an applicant’s qualifications and whether a job is considered skilled under the policy. The NZSCO has many deficiencies and has led to many inconsistencies in policy interpretation. It is vitally important for the success of any application that great care is taken on.- what NZSCO code is used to describe a job
- The actual job description prepared by the employer
- describing the relevancy of the job to the qualification
- Inconsistencies:
Over the past 12 months we have detected many inconsistencies in how applications are assessed by different immigration officers. It is therefore vitally important that the application, as much as is possible, follows exactly the policy and the NZSCO. - Availability of jobs:
We can sometimes find employment for applicants. If you have interest in this please contact us. - Applications are generally taking 3 to 6 months to be processed.
This visa allows you to migrate to New Zealand as a permanent resident.
It is a points-based system, however, even if you reach the required points level most applicants will be required to have a valid job offer from a New Zealand employer.
Before you can apply an applicant must complete the "Expression of Interest" form.
| Age | You must be under 55 when you apply. |
| English language | All applicants must have a minimum of 6.5 for the IELTS test. |
| Qualifications | Applicants must have a recognised tertiary or trade qualifications relevant to the applicant's nominated occupation. |
| Job Offer | Applicants are usually required to have a valid job offer. The job offer must be relevant to the applicant's qualifications or work experience. If your qualification is for an occupation that requires registration in New Zealand then the application must obtain registration with the relevant occupational authority before an application can be made. |
| Absolute skill shortage | If your qualification or job offer is listed on the "Absolute Skill Shortage" list or the "Priority Occupation" list then you will gain additional points. |
| Work Experience | Points are awarded for work experience over 2 years if the work experience is relevant to the job offer or relevant to the applicant's qualifications. |
| Spouse or partner | You can gain points if your spouse/partner has qualifying skills, qualifications or a job offer. |
It is not possible to determine if a person can qualify for residence under this category until the applicant completes a detailed questionnaire.
Comments, Recommendations and Suggestions
- NZ Standard List Of Occupation (NZSCO):
This list is used by the NZIS as the definitive document for determining the nature of job, its relevancy to an applicant’s qualifications and whether a job is considered skilled under the policy. The NZSCO has many deficiencies and has led to many inconsistencies in policy interpretation. It is vitally important for the success of any application that great care is taken on.- what NZSCO code is used to describe a job
- The actual job description prepared by the employer
- describing the relevancy of the job to the qualification
- Inconsistencies:
Over the past 12 months we have detected many inconsistencies in how applications are assessed by different immigration officers. It is therefore vitally important that the application, as much as is possible, follows exactly the policy and the NZSCO. - Availability of jobs:
We can sometimes find employment for applicants. If you have interest in this please contact us. - Applications are generally taking 3 to 6 months to be processed.
This visa allows you to migrate to Australia and establish your own business.
To qualify for this visa you must:
- Be sponsored by one of Australia's State Governments; and
- Establish a business in the sponsoring state
The visa 163 is a temporary visa and is issued for 3 years. You will qualify for a permanent resident visa after 2 years (visa 892) if:
- The Australian business you established is profitable and has annual sales of more than Aus$ 200,000 (RMB 1,400,000); and
- You have physically lived in the sponsoring state for more than 12 months
| English language | If you do not speak English to level 5.0 for IELTS you must purchase an English language training course. |
| Qualifications | This category does not have a specific requirement for tertiary qualifications. |
| Work Experience | You should have at least 4 years of successful senior management experience. You must have had a significant ownership share in a business that is profitable and has an annual sales of more than Aus$ 300,000 |
| Age | You must be less than 55 years of age |
| Legal Earnings | You must prove you have had legal earnings of at least Aus$ 300,000 (RMB 2,100,000) over the past 3 years. |
| Assets | You must prove that you own assets worth at least Aus$ 300,000 (RMB 2,100,000) |
| Investment | You need to transfer to Australia at least Aus$ 300,000 (RMB 2,100,000). Of this amount you need to invest a minimum of Aus$ 100,000 (RMB 700,000) in your Australian business. |
| Risk | To get a residence visa you must have successfully established a company that has an annual turnover of at least Aus$ 200,000 (RMB 1,400,000). As there is no guarantee of success for any business it is important that you are very careful on what sort of business you establish. |
This visa allows you to migrate to Australia and establish your own business.
To qualify for this visa you must:
- Be sponsored by one of Australia's State Governments; and
- Establish a business in the sponsoring state
The visa 164 is a temporary visa and is issued for 3 years. You will qualify for a permanent resident visa after 2 years (visa 892) if:
- The Australian business you established is profitable and has annual sales of more than Aus$ 200,000 (RMB 1,400,000); and
- You have physically lived in the sponsoring state for more than 12 months
| English language | If you do not speak English to level 5.0 for IELTS you must purchase an English language training course. |
| Qualifications | This category does not have a specific requirement for tertiary qualifications. |
| Work Experience |
You should have at least 4 years of executive management experience in a company where annual sales exceeds Aus$ 10,000,000 (RMB 70,000,000); or You should have at least 4 years of general management experience in a company where annual sales exceedsAus$ 1,000,000 (RMB 7,000,000) |
| Age | You must be less than 55 years of age |
| Legal Earnings | You must prove you have had legal earnings of at least Aus$ 300,000 (RMB 2,100,000) over the past 3 years. |
| Assets | You must prove that you own assets worth at least Aus$ 300,000 (RMB 2,100,000) |
| Investment | You need to transfer to Australia at least Aus$ 300,000 (RMB 2,100,000). Of this amount you need to invest a minimum of Aus$ 100,000 (RMB 700,000) in your Australian business. |
| Risk | To get a residence visa you must have successfully established a company that has an annual turnover of at least Aus$ 200,000 (RMB 1,400,000). As there is no guarantee of success for any business it is important that you are very careful on what sort of business you establish. |
This visa allows you to migrate to Australia.
To qualify for this visa you must:
- Be sponsored by one of Australia's State Governments; and
- Invest a minimum of Aus$ 750,000 (RMB 5,400,000) in government bonds for 4 years
The visa 165 is a temporary visa and is issued for 4 years. You will qualify for a permanent resident visa (visa 893) if you have:
- Maintained your investment in government bonds for 4 years; and
- physically lived in the sponsoring state for at least 2 years.
| English language | If you do not speak English to level 5.0 for IELTS you must purchase an English language training course. |
| Qualifications | This category does not have a specific requirement for tertiary qualifications. |
| Work Experience |
You should have at least 3 years of senior management experience in a business; or You should have owned a business for at least 3 years; or You must have managed investment assets of at least Aus$ 750,000 (RMB 5,400,000) for at least 3 years |
| Age | You must be less than 55 years of age |
| Legal Earnings | You should prove you have had legal earnings of at least Aus$ 1,250,000 (RMB 9,000,000). |
| Assets | You must prove that you own unencumbered assets worth at least Aus$ 1,250,000 (RMB 9,000,000) each year for the past 2 years. |
| Investment | You must invest a minimum of Aus$ 750,000 (RMB 5,400,000) in government bonds for 4 years. |
| Risk | This option has no risk as the investment funds are with the Australian government and repaid back after 4 years with interest. Permanent residence is guaranteed as long as funds stay on deposit for the required 4 years. You must live in Australia for a minimum period of 2 years. |
This visa allows you to migrate to Australia.
If your skills and qualifications are accepted for your nominated occupation then you can apply for this category. This is a points based system and you can receive points for qualifications, age, english language ability, specific work experience, occupation in demand (and job offer), Australian qualifications, spouse qualifications and relationship.
| Occupation Assessment | Before you can lodge your application for this visa you must nominate a specific skill from the "Occupation in Demand" list for which you wish to apply and have your skills and qualifications assessed by the appropriate Australian authority. |
| Age | You must be less than 45 years of age. |
| English language | You require a minimum pass mark of 5 on all 4 bands of the IELTS test. |
| Qualifications | You must have a recognised university or trade qualifications that is relevant to your nominated occupation. |
| Occupation | You must be skilled and qualified in an occupation that is on the Skilled Occupations List. |
| Work Experience | If an applicant has not earned an Australian qualification in the last 6 months then an applicant needs at least 12 months of work experience in their nominated occupation. |
It is not possible to determine if a person can qualify for residence under this category until the applicant completes a detailed questionnaire.
This visa allows you to migrate to Australia.
If your skills and qualifications are accepted for your nominated occupation then you can apply for this category. This is a points based system and you can receive points for qualifications, age, english language ability, specific work experience, occupation in demand (and job offer), Australian qualifications, spouse qualifications and relationship.
| Occupation Assessment | Before you can lodge your application for this visa you must nominate a specific skill from the "Occupation in Demand" list for which you wish to apply and have your skills and qualifications assessed by the appropriate Australian authority. |
| Age | You must be less than 45 years of age. |
| English language | You require a minimum pass mark of 5 on all 4 bands of the IELTS test. |
| Qualifications | You must have a recognised university or trade qualifications that is relevant to your nominated occupation. |
| Occupation | You must be skilled and qualified in an occupation that is on the Skilled Occupations List. |
| Work Experience | If an applicant has not earned an Australian qualification in the last 6 months then an applicant needs at least 12 months of work experience in their nominated occupation. |
It is not possible to determine if a person can qualify for residence under this category until the applicant completes a detailed questionnaire.
This visa applies to potential immigrants who own or control a business in their home country and want to establish a branch office, affiliated company or subsidiary in the United States.
The applicant should own a business in his home country with an annual sales turnover of at least US$ 600,000 (RMB 5,000,000).
The applicant first establishes his US subsidiary and employs at least 1 person. The US subsidiary should have an investment capital of at least US$ 150,000 (RMB 2,500,000) to set up the new business. Having done that the applicant can then apply for an L1A visa which is a non-resident visa.
This visa is a much easier and cheaper way of gaining entry to the USA for migration purposes, than the "green card investment option" where you must invest a minimum of US$ 500,000. However, with the L1A visa you must set up and manage a business.
The applicant must have worked as a senior manager or as an expert specialist in his business for at least 3 years prior to application.
| Age | This category does not have any age restrictions. |
| Language | There is no language requirements for this category. |
| Green Card | After 1 year of operating his US subsidiary the applicant can then easily convert his L1A visa into a green card - permanent residency. |
| Renewal | The L1A visa can be renewed for up to 7 years. |
EXCEPTIONAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
This section applies to prospective immigrants who have exceptional skills and qualifications.
In order to demonstrate extraordinary skills or qualifications to the satisfaction of the immigration department, applicants under this category must submit a letter from a foreign or South African organ of State, or from an established South African academic, cultural or business body, confirming the applicant's exceptional skills or qualifications.
In addition, testimonials from previous employers, comprehensive curriculum vitae, publications, or any other proof to substantiate exceptional skills or qualifications must be submitted.
| Age | This category does not have any age restrictions. |
| Language | An applicant should normally be fluent in one of the official languages of South Africa - English, Afrikaans or Zulu. |
| Academic Qualifications | It is expected an applicant would normally hold a doctorate degree if applying for exceptional qualifications. |
| Exceptional Skills | There are no set criteria for exceptional skills. It is necesarry to submit a persuasive case to the immigration authorities. |
ESTABLISH A BUSINESS
This section applies to prospective immigrants who have a proven and successful business and entrepreneurial record.
| Age | This category does not have any age restrictions. |
| Language | An applicant should normally be fluent in one of the official languages of South Africa - English, Afrikaans or Zulu. |
| Academic Qualifications | There is no required academic qualification for this category. However, it is considered helpful if applicants have a recognized tertiary or trade qualification relevant to the applicant's proposed business. |
| Investment Amount | There is no specific required investment. However, it is unlikely a proposal will be accepted unless the investment is at least Rand 1,500,000 (RMB 2,000,000). |
| Business Category | There are no set criteria for exceptional skills. It is necesarry to submit a persuasive case to the immigration authorities. |
| Exceptional Skills | The proposed business must be in one of the following areas:
|
| Employing South Africans | The applicant must provide proof or guarantees that at least 5 South African nationals will be employed by the new business. |
| Economic benefit | The applicant must provide proof that the new business will contribute to the export potential of South Africa or bring in new skills or technology to South Africa. |
The applicant must have a Chartered Accountant confirm that his business is meeting the requirements of this policy after 2 years and after 5 years.
RETIREMENT
This section applies to prospective immigrants who wish to retire in South Africa and have substantial assets or income.
| Age | This category does not have any age restrictions, although it is expected an applicant will be at least 60 years of age. |
| Language | An applicant should normally be fluent in one of the official languages of South Africa - English, Afrikaans or Zulu. |
| Income | A chartered accountant must certify that the applicant has a guaranteed income of at least Rand 20,000 (RMB 27,000) per month for the rest of their life, and that such income can be paid in South Africa. |
| Wealth | Instead of a guaranteed income the applicant must have a minimum net worth of Rand 12,000,000 (RMB 16,000,000) that provides a minimum monthly income of at least Rand 15,000 (RMB 20,000). |
WEALTH
This section applies to immigrants who have substantial assets or income.
| Age | TThis category does not have any age restrictions. |
| Language | An applicant should normally be fluent in one of the official languages of South Africa - English, Afrikaans or Zulu. |
| Wealth | A chartered accountant must certify that the applicant has a minimum net worth of Rand 20,000,000 (RMB 27,000,000). |
| Government Fee | Applicants must pay the South African government a fee of Rand 100,000 (RMB 135,000). |