New Zealand Strengthens Active Investor Plus Visa Requirements for Managed Funds

New requirements for managed funds and direct investments under New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) Visa will take effect on September 28, 2026, aiming to enhance investment quality and certainty for migrant investors and fund managers.

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Immigration New Zealand has announced new requirements for managed funds and direct investment offerings under its Active Investor Plus (AIP) Visa, set to take effect on September 28, 2026. These updates are designed to strengthen the quality of approved investments and provide greater clarity for both migrant investors and fund managers. For high-net-worth Filipinos considering residency through investment in New Zealand, these changes aim to ensure a more robust and transparent investment environment.

A key change involves managed funds, which will now be required to provide and maintain explicit investment deployment plans. This measure is intended to give investors, including potential Filipino migrants, increased confidence that their funds have a clear and accountable strategy for contributing to New Zealand's economic growth. Additionally, Invest New Zealand will have enhanced powers to suspend or revoke the eligibility of any approved managed fund or direct investment that ceases to meet the programme's requirements, ensuring ongoing compliance and quality.

To encourage higher quality submissions, applications for managed funds and direct investments that are declined will be subject to a six-month stand-down period before they can be resubmitted. Further, new guidance will be introduced to clarify the features of "Growth" category investments, making it easier for investors and fund managers to understand the distinct requirements of both "Growth" and "Balanced" investment categories. These continuous improvements build upon earlier visa enhancements aimed at providing greater certainty for investors, as detailed in an August 2026 announcement by Immigration New Zealand.

The AIP visa aims to attract investors actively engaged in New Zealand’s investment ecosystem, with acceptable investments including managed funds, direct investments, and philanthropy under its "Growth" category, as noted by Invest New Zealand. Further information on the application process and detailed guidance on the new criteria will be available on the Invest New Zealand website from September 28, 2026. This ongoing refinement of the AIP program underscores New Zealand's commitment to attracting productive capital while maintaining clear and effective investment standards.