New Zealand Investor 2 Visa vs EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa
A factual side-by-side comparison of two residency programmes. All figures are drawn from the canonical program pages — follow either link in the table header for sources and the full profile.
Key Differences at a Glance
- ›New Zealand Investor 2 Visa is faster: 9 months vs 30 months for EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa.
- ›Lower capital: EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa (800,000 USD) vs 1,800,000 for New Zealand Investor 2 Visa.
New Zealand Investor 2 Visa New Zealand · investment | EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa United States · investment | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand | United States |
| Category | Investment | Investment |
| Application Fee | $3,525 | $3,675 |
| Minimum Income | — | — |
| Minimum Investment | $1,800,000 | $800,000 |
| Processing Time | 9 months | 30 months |
| Family Included | Partner and dependent children included in the residence visa application | Spouse and unmarried children under 21 included at no additional investment |
| Path to PR | Yes — 0 years | Yes — 0 years |
| Path to Citizenship | Yes — 5 years | Yes — 5 years |
| Physical Presence | Must spend at least 438 days in New Zealand over the 4-year investment period to meet residence obligations | Must reside in the US after receiving conditional green card; 6-month continuous absence voids residency |
| Dual Citizenship | Allowed | Allowed |
| Tax Impact | Resident visa holders are subject to New Zealand tax on worldwide income; a four-year transitional tax exemption on foreign-sourced income may be available for new residents | Grants US lawful permanent resident status; worldwide income subject to US taxation from day of admission |
| Tax Residency Trigger | 183 days/yr | 0 days/yr |
| Worldwide Taxation | Yes | Yes |
| Renewal Cost | — | — |
About New Zealand Investor 2 Visa
New Zealand's Investor 2 Visa is a high-net-worth residence route requiring a minimum NZD 3,000,000 (~USD 1.8M) in acceptable New Zealand investments, excluding residential property, held for a mandatory four-year period. Applicants must be aged 65 or under, show at least three years of senior business experience, meet a basic English standard (IELTS 3.0 or a settlement course), and spend at least 438 days in New Zealand across the four years; day-counting is strict and inflexible. Partner and dependent children are included. Beyond the investment, budget roughly USD 65,000-110,000 in the first year; decisions target about 9 months but complex source-of-funds reviews can run 12-18 months. Completing the investment and presence obligations delivers permanent residence, with citizenship available after 5 years (basic language, oath), and dual nationality permitted. Holders are taxed on worldwide income once tax-resident (183-day rule), though a four-year transitional exemption covers most foreign-source income for those not NZ-resident in the prior decade. This stream replaced the former Investor 2 category in September 2022.
Full New Zealand Investor 2 Visa profile →About EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa is a US investment route that grants lawful permanent residency directly: the green card, conditional for its first two years, is issued without a separate PR step. It requires a minimum investment of USD 800,000 in a USCIS-designated Targeted Employment Area (or USD 1,050,000 elsewhere) into a new commercial enterprise creating at least 10 full-time US jobs, with funds lawfully sourced and kept genuinely at risk. Beyond the investment, realistic first-year costs run roughly USD 55,000-95,000. Processing is long, around 30 months, with the I-526E petition alone taking 18-48 months and mainland-China and India applicants facing multi-year visa retrogression. A spouse and unmarried children under 21 are included at no extra investment. Citizenship is possible after five years, and dual citizenship is allowed. A green card makes you a US tax resident from day one, taxing worldwide income and triggering FATCA/FBAR duties, with an exit tax if you later renounce. Guaranteed returns disqualify the investment, and a failed regional center has caused total loss of both capital and visa.
Full EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa profile →Gotchas to Watch For
New Zealand Investor 2 Visa
- ⚠**Replaced the old Investor 2 category in September 2022**. Old Investor 2 (NZD 3M passive) is closed to new applicants.
- ⚠NZ taxes worldwide income once tax-resident after the 4-year transitional window — plan carefully
- ⚠Day counting is strict: 117 days (direct) vs 335 days (managed) over 3 years is not flexible
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa
- ⚠EB-5 Reform Act 2022: thresholds raised to $800k (TEA) / $1.05M (non-TEA); reserved visa categories added
- ⚠Mainland China + India face multi-year visa retrogression after I-526E approval
- ⚠Green card = US tax resident from day 1 = worldwide income taxation + FATCA/FBAR obligations
- ⚠Investment must stay "at risk" — guaranteed returns disqualify
- ⚠Regional Center selection critical — bankrupt/fraudulent RCs have caused total loss of both investment AND visa
Neutral reference — we don't recommend one programme over another. Programmes change: always verify each detail against the official source linked on the individual program pages.