At our most recent meeting with the Business Team Management, we received updates on processing times for the various visas they handle.
Entrepreneur – lack of clear warnings
U.S enquiries about the Entrepreneur category to our office have increased greatly since the 2024 presidential election. There are also a few from elsewhere.
For example, Google’s AI (as of July 2025), when asked “is the NZ entrepreneur category a good option,” speaks positively of this category. Amidst overwhelmingly positive billing, there’s a vague comment that “some sources indicate that decline rates for the residence stage, so it’s crucial to prepare a robust and well-researched business plan.”
In fact, the decline rate has been 96% and is still high at all stages. It has come down as volumes have all but dried up. Our meetings with Business Team Management have revealed that staffing for this category was down to one specialist but is now up to two specialists.
Misleading advertising
Most credible lawyers and advisers warn their clients of the challenges with this broken category. However, we are still finding an irresponsible minority of licensed and unlicensed advisors continue to promote the entrepreneur category without mentioning the significant challenges and high decline rates. The role of a lawyer and adviser is to give independent and competent advice. We are also finding promotion of this category from offshore unlicensed people, which is potentially a breach of our Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007.
You can’t commute to and from your new business
A major detail, often not mentioned, is that you would need to work full-time in the business for a number of years. We’ve checked this with the Management Team. Other than export/business-related travel and short vacations, the owner applicant must be present and working in the business in New Zealand at all times.
Before considering – look at the statistics!
We recently made a request under the Official Information Act (New Zealand’s FOI legislation) for processing times and results. This yielded some interesting results as enclosed. The time frame covered was between 1 July 2024 and 29 June 2025.
The decline rate is not the whole picture; tiny numbers
There were only four entrepreneur resident visa applications being processed as of 29 June 2025. This very low volume reinforces the difficulties with this category. Two applications were either returned failed lodgements or cancelled for other reasons. To reach this stage, clients would have laid out considerable sums. These are tiny numbers. We have done many of these applications in the past but have actively encouraged other options in recent years.
Initial work visa 29% declined; most undecided
During that time, there were 67 applications for entrepreneur work visas (interim), but only three had been approved, seven were withdrawn or cancelled, two were declined, and seven had been approved.
We were told that the decline/unsuccessful rate was 29%. It would be very irresponsible not to draw this to our clients’ attention.
55 applications were still under consideration, which underscores the long delays in this category.
Further work visa; small volumes
A further 24 applications were made within this timeframe for the balance of a three-year work visa. Six were withdrawn or otherwise cancelled, and six were approved. 12 had not been decided. Again, these are very small volumes with uncertain outcomes after investing large sums.
Long processing times
Further clues about this being a risky, low priority category are found in the median processing time for Entrepreneur Work and Residence visas.
- The initial entrepreneur work visa had a median processing time of 212 working days, which comes close to a full year.
- The entrepreneur work visa seeking the balance of three years fared better with a median processing time of 110 working days.
- The entrepreneur resident visa had a delay in processing of 203 working days, which also comes close to a full year.
Paper applications
Another aspect of this category that needs urgent attention is that applications are paper-based. This leads to absurd situations, where documents that were originally in electronic form, such as bank statements, sometimes have to be printed out to be turned into paper documents, certified, and double or triple handled before they arrive at the Business Team in Wellington.
As part of The Law Association, we have supported digitizing these and other paper application – but that is still some time away.
Review underway
Some good news is on the horizon.
A review group has been formed to recommend changes that could significantly improve the Entrepreneur instructions. However, there is no publicly announced timeframe for any changes to come into force.
Our thoughts
Our advice at this stage is to treat this as a category of last resort and hold off making applications until fresh instructions are announced.
There are significant risks in the 29% decline rate of work visas, but equally, the one-year delays in processing for both the work visa and resident visas.
It is disappointing that the Immigration New Zealand website does not accurately reflect the challenges, delays, and uncertainties of this category.
Fast-track
There are slightly better odds for the fast-track category with a strong, professionally prepared business plan, investing in an existing company with a strong track record. See our previous blog.
There are often good alternatives to this category.
Active Investor Plus – a better option for those with sufficient funds
The balanced and growth categories under the active investor plus visa, as of July 2025, had total processing times, for decision-ready applications, of around four months.
In the case of investments under the growth category, additional time is needed to get approval from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) if you are not using a pre-approved company or a portfolio of companies. We are recommending that clients use a portfolio of companies with an established fund manager. We have good contacts. See our previous blog for details.
Interest in this category has been high.
Specific Purpose Work visas
We have successfully suggested other avenues for clients, such as a specific purpose work visa which is more flexible than the accredited employer work visa.
Our firm has many years of experience with this particular visa. We have helped clients develop business plans for the relocating New Zealand branch, which is far less onerous than those required under the entrepreneur category. Independent directors can be bought on board. Clients receive renewable specific purpose work visas. Those with tertiary qualifications, and good income can then step across to the skilled migrant residence category visa.
Contact our friendly team for further details.