27/08/2025 - New Entrepreneur Visa

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Business Investor Visa offers new immigration options for investors

The Government has announced the closure of the Entrepreneur Work Visa and introduced a new Business Investor Visa to attract experienced investors who will help grow New Zealand’s economy by actively running businesses.

About the Business Investor Visa

The Business Investor Work Visa will open for applications in November 2025 and offer 2 investment options:

1. NZD $1 million investment in an existing business, for a 3-year work-to-residence pathway
2. NZD $2 million investment in an existing business, for a 12-month fast-track to residence pathway

Applicants can purchase a business outright on either visa pathway or acquire at least 25% of the business, provided they meet the minimum $1 million or $2 million investment thresholds. Both options lead to eligibility to apply for the Business

Read more: 27/08/2025 - New Entrepreneur Visa

17/03/2025 - Health Screening for Children of Temporary Visa Holders to Change

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The government has announced changes to the immigration health requirements for dependent children of temporary visas holders. 

Dependent children of work, student or military visa holders will no longer be eligible for student and visitor visas if they have a severe cognitive or development disability that requires significant support.

6/03/2025 - Primary School Teachers move to Straight to Residence Pathway

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From 26 March 2025, the Government is moving primary school teachers to the Green List Straight to Residence pathway which will allow eligible primary school teachers to apply for residence from offshore. 

27/01/2025 - Visitor Visa Rules updated

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From 27 January 2025 new visa conditions will allow visitors to work remotely for an overseas employer or client. These new conditions let tourists stay in touch with work back home, without breaching their visa conditions.

19/03/25 - Minimum and Median wages NZ

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As of April 1, 2025, the New Zealand minimum wage is $23.50 per hour for adult employees, while the starting-out and training minimum wage is $18.80 per hour. The median wage, used for some visa applications, is $31.61 per hour. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown: 

Minimum Wage:

• Adult Minimum Wage: $23.50 per hour
• Starting-out and Training Minimum Wage: $18.80 per hour
  8-hour day: $185.20 for adult minimum wage, $148.16 for starting-out and training 

• Median Wage:

Current Median

• Wage: $31.61 per hour 

• Used for: Certain visa applications, including the Skilled Migrant Category and Parent Category 

• AEWV: Employers recruiting workers under the AEWV and seasonal SPWV policies will no longer be required to pay the median wage, instead, they will be expected to pay migrant workers on par with their New Zealand counterparts (the New Zealand market rate) 


Other Relevant Points:

Minimum Wage Increase: 


The minimum wage increased from $23.15 to $23.50 per hour on April 1, 2025. 






Starting-out and Training Minimum Wage Increase: 


The starting-out and training minimum wage increased from $18.52 to $18.80 per hour on April 1, 2025. 







Sector Agreements:


Sector Agreements which provided an exemption to the median wage will be removed. 





Migrant Workers: 
Migrant workers will need to be paid at least market rate for a role and at least minimum wage ($23.50 per hour from 1 April 2025). 






Living Wage: 


The 2024/25 New Zealand Living Wage rate is $27.80 per hour. 

(Source Business Govt NZ)

19/03/25 - Changes in March 2025

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Changes have been made to how much you pay migrants, their work experience requirements and how long they can stay in New Zealand. These came into effect from 10 March 2025.

• The wage thresholds for all AEWV and Specific Purpose Work Visa have been removed.
• You can hire migrants with two years’ relevant work experience, instead of three years.
• New migrants employed under the AEWV in lower-skilled roles can stay for three years, instead of two years.
• Some lower-skilled roles will be treated at a higher skill level and are able to have a total stay in New Zealand of five years, instead of three years.
• As an employer, you will need to declare you have advertised lower-skilled roles with Work and Income, and interviewed suitable candidates. You should keep evidence of this in case it is requested later. However, you will no longer need to provide evidence of your engagement in your Job Check.   

Read more: 19/03/25 - Changes in March 2025

22/05/2024 - Record numbers are leaving NZ – but is the grass greener overseas?

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New Zealand lost more than 1000 citizens a week in the year to March 31, amid a contracting economy and rising unemployment. What can they expect in the countries they’re moving to?

For every citizen who migrated back to New Zealand in the year ended March 2024, another three New Zealanders decided to leave the country, according to Stats NZ.

The record net migration loss of 52,000 New Zealand citizens came at the same time the country experienced a net migration gain of 163,000 non-citizens.

Read more: 22/05/2024 - Record numbers are leaving NZ – but is the grass greener overseas?

05/05/2024 - Citizenship time frames

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Many clients are asking me; "What is the current time frame for citizenshipapplication?"

Application assessment

The oldest applications we are starting to assess were received in March 2023.

If your application was received after March 2023, the Department of Internal Affairs cannot provide any further information on the status of your application.

These timeframes were updated in May 2024.

The time taken to process an application in the past is no guarantee of how long it may take in future.

Application outcome

96% of applicants receive an outcome within 18 months of submitting their application.

Application process

90% of applicants are granted citizenship within 19 months of submitting their application.

We collect data on the status of New Zealand citizenship applications by the date they were received

Source DIA

03/05/2024 - New tools strengthen immigration law enforcement

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From 11 April 2024 Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will be able to issue infringement notices to employers with the aim of addressing lower-level immigration non-compliance and deter those who take advantage of migrant workers.

Infringement penalties can include: a minimum fine of $1,000, loss of accredited employer or Recognised Seasonal Employer status, and being banned (stood-down) from supporting further visas for migrant workers for a period of time depending on the number of infringement notices the employer receives. More serious breaches may result in criminal charges.

Read more: 03/05/2024 - New tools strengthen immigration law enforcement

01/05/2024 - Update to secondary school teachers moving to the Straight to Residence pathway

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From 1 May 2024 secondary school teachers are now on the Straight to Residence pathway on the Green List of in-demand roles.

In April, the Government announced that secondary school teachers will move to the Straight to Residence pathway on the Green List of in-demand roles.

Eligible overseas secondary school teachers can now apply for residence from outside New Zealand:

• when they have an offer of employment with an accredited employer, and
• without needing to work for 2 years in New Zealand first.

Other teachers remain on the Work to Residence pathway.

(Sourve INZ Website)