New Zealand Entrepreneur Work Visa in 2026: The Short Version
The New Zealand Entrepreneur Work Visa is closed. Immigration New Zealand stopped accepting new applications on 26 August 2025 and replaced the category with the Business Investor Work Visa, which opened in November 2025 and requires NZD $1 million to $2 million invested in an existing New Zealand business. This guide covers what changed, who still qualifies, and the realistic options for startup founders, with the summary maintained on our New Zealand founder visa page.
If you searched for the Entrepreneur Work Visa expecting the old NZD $100,000 route, the honest answer is that door no longer exists. Here is the full 2026 picture.
What Happened: The Entrepreneur Work Visa Closure
For years, the Entrepreneur Work Visa (EWV) was New Zealand's founder route: NZD $100,000 minimum capital, a 120-point assessment, and a two-stage structure (12 months to start the business, then 24 months to run it). In practice it was one of the toughest visas in the developed world, with historic decline rates reported well above 50 percent, largely on business plan credibility grounds.
In 2025 the government replaced it outright:
- 26 August 2025: no new Entrepreneur Work Visa applications accepted.
- November 2025: the Business Investor Work Visa opened as the replacement.
- Existing EWV holders keep their visas, can keep running their businesses, and the Entrepreneur Resident Visa category remains open to them as the residence pathway.
The policy logic was explicit: New Zealand wants fewer small self-funded ventures and more substantial capital going into established businesses.
The Replacement: Business Investor Work Visa Requirements
The new route is built around buying into or acquiring an existing New Zealand business, not starting one from zero. Two tiers:
| Requirement | Standard pathway | Fast-track pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | NZD $1 million in an established NZ business | NZD $2 million in an established NZ business |
| Residence timeline | Resident visa after 3 years running the business | Resident visa after 12 months |
| Settlement funds | NZD $500,000 additional | NZD $500,000 additional |
| Business criteria | Established, meets financial thresholds, 5+ full-time staff | Same |
| Age | 55 or younger | 55 or younger |
| Other | English language, health, character | Same |
Read that table honestly: with the extra NZD $500,000 in settlement funds, the real entry ticket is roughly NZD $1.5 million (about USD $900,000). You must also actively run the business, this is not a passive investment visa.
For founders who want to build something new rather than buy a laundromat chain, this route rarely fits. That is the uncomfortable truth of the 2026 settings.
Still Have an Entrepreneur Work Visa? Your Residence Path Is Open
If you got into the EWV before the closure, your position is protected:
- You can continue operating your business on your existing visa terms.
- The Entrepreneur Resident Visa category was not closed. The classic tests still apply: run the business for at least 2 years (standard), or qualify in as little as 6 months if you invested at least NZD $500,000 and created 3 or more full-time jobs (fast-track).
If you are in this group, document everything: financials, employment records, tax compliance. The residence application is evidence-heavy, and holders of a closed category get no slack on paperwork.
The Big-Capital Alternative: Active Investor Plus
New Zealand's other 2025 refresh was the Active Investor Plus Visa (the "golden visa"), simplified in April 2025 into two categories:
- Growth: NZD $5 million invested for at least 3 years, weighted toward direct investments and managed funds.
- Balanced: NZD $10 million invested for at least 5 years, with broader options including bonds and property development.
This is a wealth route, not a founder route. But it matters for one group: founders who have already exited. If you sold your last company and want to base yourself in New Zealand while angel investing or starting your next venture without visa pressure, Active Investor Plus is the cleanest path in the 2026 system.
What Startup Founders Can Actually Do in 2026
If you are a pre-exit founder without seven figures of capital, New Zealand currently has no dedicated startup visa. Realistic strategies:
- Build the company first, relocate later. Incorporate where you are, raise your round, and revisit New Zealand once the company can fund a NZD $1M+ business investment or you personally qualify for Active Investor Plus.
- Use the Accredited Employer Work Visa via your own NZ entity. Some founders with funded companies establish an NZ subsidiary that becomes an accredited employer. This is complex and needs professional immigration advice, but it is a used route for funded startups hiring in New Zealand.
- Pick a jurisdiction with a real startup visa. If the goal is "build a global startup from a good base with a founder visa," countries like Estonia, France, Ireland, and Japan run dedicated programs with requirements between €0 and €50,000, not NZD $1.5 million. Compare them on our visa index.
The common thread: in every scenario, a funded company gives you options an idea does not. Capital is now the entry ticket to New Zealand, and it is the entry ticket to most alternatives too.
Fund the Company First: Where Round Funded Fits
Whatever route you choose, the leverage comes from a real raise. Round Funded gives founders the system for it: a database of 10,000+ active investors filtered by stage, sector, and geography (including funds that back founders in Australia and New Zealand), AI-drafted outreach sent from your own Gmail, and reply tracking that shows who is actually warm.
Founders using systematic outreach typically contact 100 to 200 investors per raise. Doing that from a spreadsheet takes months; doing it from a purpose-built pipeline takes weeks.
Browse 10,000+ active investors on Round Funded →
What to Do Next: Step by Step
- Check the current New Zealand rules on Round Funded's NZ visa guide so you are working from 2026 settings, not the pre-2025 internet.
- Classify yourself. Existing EWV holder: focus on the Entrepreneur Resident Visa evidence. Post-exit founder: assess Active Investor Plus. Pre-exit founder: the honest answer is fund the company first.
- If you can deploy NZD $1M+ into an existing business, shortlist acquisition targets with 5+ full-time staff and get New Zealand immigration advice before committing capital.
- If you are building from zero, compare startup visa jurisdictions on the visa index. Estonia, France, and Ireland cover most founder profiles at a fraction of the capital bar.
- Raise the round that gives you options. Use the Round Funded investor database to build a 100+ investor pipeline filtered to your stage and sector.
- Revisit New Zealand from strength. A funded company or an exit changes which doors are open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the New Zealand Entrepreneur Work Visa still available in 2026?
No. Immigration New Zealand closed the Entrepreneur Work Visa to new applications on 26 August 2025. It was replaced by the Business Investor Work Visa, which opened in November 2025 and requires NZD $1 million to $2 million invested in an existing New Zealand business. Current status is tracked on /visa/new-zealand.
What replaced the Entrepreneur Work Visa?
The Business Investor Work Visa: invest NZD $1 million in an established NZ business with 5+ full-time staff for residence after 3 years, or NZD $2 million for a 12-month fast track. Applicants also need NZD $500,000 in settlement funds, must be 55 or younger, and must actively run the business.
I already hold an Entrepreneur Work Visa. Am I affected?
Your visa remains valid and the Entrepreneur Resident Visa category stays open for existing holders. The standard route requires 2 years of running your business; the fast track needs 6 months plus NZD $500,000 invested and 3 full-time jobs created. Keep meticulous financial and employment records for the application.
Does New Zealand have any startup visa for founders without capital?
Not in 2026. There is no equivalent of Estonia's or France's startup visa. Founders without NZD $1 million+ typically build and fund the company first, or choose a jurisdiction with a dedicated founder program. Our visa index compares the main options, from Estonia to Japan.
What is the Active Investor Plus visa?
New Zealand's investor residence route, simplified in April 2025: NZD $5 million for 3+ years (Growth category) or NZD $10 million for 5+ years (Balanced category). It suits exited founders and investors, not operators bootstrapping a new startup.
How hard was the old Entrepreneur Work Visa to get?
Very. Reported decline rates ran above 50 percent, mostly on business plan credibility and the 120-point assessment. The difficulty is part of why the government replaced it with a capital-first route that is simpler to assess.
Can raising a round help my New Zealand plans?
Directly. A funded company can support a NZD $1M+ business investment, back an accredited-employer structure, or simply give you the resources to base the company elsewhere while you build. Round Funded gives you 10,000+ active investors with filters and outreach tooling to run that raise in weeks instead of months.
Final Word
New Zealand replaced its founder visa with a capital visa. If you have NZD $1.5 million to deploy, the Business Investor route is straightforward. If you do not, the move is to fund your company first and choose your jurisdiction from strength.
Start raising from 10,000+ active investors →
Visa doors open faster with a funded company. Find your next investor on Round Funded.
