New Zealand launches new entrepreneur work visa

A new entrepreneur work visa designed to appeal to would-be migrants keen to set up businesses in New Zealand has been launched by the Kiwi government.

The new visa, launched on 24 March, is based on a points system and is aimed at helping create new jobs and boost economic growth, especially in the areas outside Auckland. According to Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse, the country needs to attract foreign talent in order to increase investment and create local opportunities.

The new visa is a replacement for the existing long-term business visa, first introduced in 1999 and now attracting low-quality applications of little use to the country. Woodhouse said that the newly devised points system is expected to draw high-quality applicants who are able to grow productive businesses.

He added that he expects it to encourage experienced business people wishing to invest, create jobs and settle in New Zealand for the long-term. Extra points, he stated will be given to applicants who offer to start businesses in smaller communities and the rural regions outside Auckland.

Points will also be allocated according to the number of potential jobs to be created, the export potential of products and the business experience of the applicant. The minimum investment required is fixed at NZ$100,000, thus demonstrating that applicants have the means to start top-quality concerns.

Qualified Britons with strong business experience and an entrepreneurial spirit are being urged to consider the benefits of starting up in New Zealand. Experts believe that the country’s economic growth, construction boom and increased consumer demand, all make 2014 the best time ever to start a new business.