Growing international investment: the new Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa is now live, how do we ensure it bears fruit?

The new and improved AIP visa program lowers barriers and provides more options. The changes include two simplified investment categories (balanced and growth), an increased scope of accepted investments and a raft of other efficiency changes to the process[i]. By all accounts, the new settings seem to have been positively received, including by investor migrants. Since the changes were announced, BNZ has seen a growing number of interested parties in a wider range of investment classes.

While there was some negativity when AIP initially launched in 2022, it is worth noting that this was a significant re-set of the investor visa program that preceded it. When AIP launched, it prioritised private investment markets, and it expanded and re-shaped the private sector ecosystem supporting it. The latest settings are aimed at bringing the intent of the policy to fruition and this will require significant additional effort. I recently sat down with Jason Elliott to talk about two significant areas of focus. Jason is BNZ customer and investor migrant from the USA, he is also the Co-Founder of InvestorvisaNZ, a service that supports investor migrants to navigate the AIP process. Following are some observations from that discussion.

1.) Attract and advocate

Great work has already been done to promote the AIP visa New Zealand investment opportunities in international markets. The NZTE-coordinated InvestNZ event program that is set to expand this year across North America, Asia and Europe is a notable mention. But there is still much more we can do to attract the investors the policy is intended to attract. I believe we need to continue to promote the program, and also to layer on top of the awareness of what we offer, a more supported pathway of conversion. What if we had an active investor advocacy program? A network of existing investor migrants, supporting others in their home markets, could provide valuable support. These individuals could help to bridge important gaps, as Jason points out:

“People may drop off the application process before they even officially inquire, for lack of accessible support with the process. Having a list of knowledgeable individuals or businesses available early in the process, local to the applicant, may help people quickly get answers and allay their initial concerns, while staying engaged long enough to complete their application.”

 2.) Retain and nurture

Over many years of working closely with investor migrants, we know that wrap-around support is essential. At BNZ, we have built an environment to make investing and settling in New Zealand as effective as possible.

• Migrant Banking services, which can set up operating accounts and commitment of capital before arriving in NZ (Moving to New Zealand – BNZ)
• Private Banking services that offer 1:1 full-service banking support to investor migrants for the long term
• Private Capital services that actively match investor migrants with New Zealand businesses seeking investment
• A Growth Sectors team to connect investor migrants with networks and knowledge
• Immigration investment support that meets the needs of both balanced and growth visa options
• Connection with settlement service specialists in-market to establish a New Zealand life (home, education, etc.)

Jason highlights the value of this kind of holistic, centralised support:

“The easier a New Zealand bank can make the entire process for Visa applicants, the better the chances are that an applicant will both apply and be successful. Having the security and customer support of a major bank, combined with a one-stop shop that will provide private capital services, means less work and less concern for an applicant. Under the new plan, investors need quite a variety of services. Not having to find and deal with multiple vendors from across the ocean is a significant offering. I know I certainly appreciate it. Furthermore, with the new timeline for investing, working with one bank to quickly set up introductions to investment managers, and create connections through Private Capital Forums to help match applicants with businesses will be vitally important.”

We aim to provide the investor migrant community with both the immediate necessities and the long-term support and connections they need. Building connections is a big part of what we do at BNZ.

For further information contact our New Zealand team on: +64 9 956 9431 (international charges will apply) or email: bnzmigrant.banking@bnz.co.nz

Arrange your bank account before you arrive in New Zealand, apply online at: bnz.co.nz/movingtonz

[i] https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/news-notifications/investor-category-update-provides-attractive-investment-options

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