Immigration New Zealand has announced that changes to its Active Investor Migrant Policy as of November 2007, with the system now being divided in to three categories which investors will fall into according to the amount of money they wish to contribute to the country’s economy and the risk of their investment.

The aim of the new policy is to ensure that migration is made possible only to investors wishing to significantly enhance the New Zealand economy and benefit the country’s society as a whole.

Previously, the system requires a deposit of $2 million, with a return equal to the rate of inflation.

Under the new rules, investors will fall into one of three categories: Global Investors, the top priority category requiring upwards of $20 million (including a minimum $5 million in active investment; Professional Investors, for migrants investing $10 million (with a minimum of $2 million actively) ad General (Active) investors, for those investing $2.5 million and who have gained the required score under a points system.

The plan is that under the new scheme, closer links will be forged between investor migrants and New Zealand businesses. It is also hoped that investor migrants will be more likely to utilise their human and financial capital to help New Zealand’s economic development.

The annual cap on immigration under the New Active Investor Migrant scheme will 1000 places, roughly 300 applications.