Business Investor Visa: gifted funds now accepted

From 6 July 2026, changes to immigration instructions under Amendment Circular 2026-17 mean Business Investor Visa (BIV) applicants can nominate gifted as well as inherited funds as part of their capital investment. This closes a gap that previously made it difficult for applicants to rely on family gifts to meet the investment threshold.

A principal applicant may nominate funds or assets that have been gifted to them unconditionally and in accordance with local law, including funds received through inheritance. Before this can be accepted, a business immigration specialist must be satisfied that the funds were lawfully earned or acquired by the person who gifted them.

Nominated funds can be owned solely by the principal applicant, jointly with a partner or dependent child included in the application, or jointly with someone outside the application. In the last case, the applicant can only claim the portion of funds for which they can provide evidence of their ownership.

What lawfully earned means for a gift

The funds must have been earned or acquired in accordance with the laws of the country where they were earned, and any transfer, both within and from that country, must go through the banking system. A business immigration specialist can decline an application if they are satisfied that funds earned in the same way in New Zealand would have breached New Zealand criminal law.

Funds already held in New Zealand

Gifted or inherited funds already held in New Zealand can also be nominated. Their value is assessed at market value as at the application date, not the original purchase price. Funds held in New Zealand for more than two years are exempt from some of the standard transfer evidence requirements, provided they were originally transferred to New Zealand lawfully or earned lawfully in New Zealand.

Evidence requirements

Valuations supporting nominated funds or assets must be no more than three months old, prepared by a reputable external agency, and considered credible by a business immigration specialist. A specialist may request further evidence if they are not satisfied the funds were legally earned, are not satisfied with a valuation, or have concerns about how a gift or loan arrangement was structured.