BIV investment and NZD 500,000 reserves: assets, joint ownership and available funds
BIV's investment and reserve-fund requirements need separate evidence. At least NZD 500,000 of reserves is additional to the nominated investment. The rules allow funds or assets; they should not be reduced to a universal demand for cash already sitting in one New Zealand bank account. The actual amount accepted still depends on ownership, net value, evidence and accessibility.
Allocate resources before adding balances
Nominated investment funds or assets must support the amount needed to acquire the business or ownership interest, with ownership and lawful acquisition established. Reserves separately support the applicant and relevant family while operating and developing the business. Money committed entirely to completion cannot also be described in full as retained additional reserves.
NZD 500,000 is a minimum requirement, not a fixed total for all living and operating costs. Government and professional charges, excluded price components, employees, equipment, stock, relocation and housing need the actual budget. Future revenue is not a resource already held at application, and forecast sales are not automatically cash available for household spending.
Asset evidence is possible, but a headline value is insufficient
BD 2.20 lists New Zealand bank funds, offshore bank funds and acceptable evidence of net assets inside or outside New Zealand. Offshore accounts need evidence of accessibility from New Zealand. The visa page also lists ownership, valuation, shares and business documents among evidence directions. These still need the actual asset, rights and accepted value, not simply a name added to a spreadsheet.
Gross valuation and net assets are different. Disclose loans, shared ownership and other burdens truthfully. An unsold asset should not be described as sale proceeds already received. Nor does a net-asset figure necessarily mean immediate cash for living expenses. Suitable professionals assess the evidence and value for the real circumstances; this article does not value or approve an individual property, shareholding or business.
Ownership arrangement | Assessment direction |
Sole applicant ownership | Evidence of actual ownership |
Jointly with qualifying included partner or dependent children | Full value may be considered under the family conditions |
Jointly with a person not included | Only the evidenced applicant-owned portion |
Offshore bank funds | Evidence they can be accessed from New Zealand |
Check the included family before counting joint assets
The partner or dependent children must meet the applicable family requirements. Sharing a surname or household does not automatically establish them. For other co-owners, evidence the applicant's actual portion. A joint-account balance does not alone settle legal ownership and access. Preserve original records and explanations for the arrangement.
Investment evidence also has ownership and source rules, but the two resource sets should not be substituted casually. A company's property, a shareholder's personal rights and distributable money are distinct. Actual sales, disposals and finance decisions need the person's circumstances and appropriate professional advice; a private total should not replace the underlying legal and financial facts.
Investment valuations and timing have their own conditions
BD 2.15 requires nominated investment-asset valuations to be no more than three months old at application, produced by an external reputable agency and accepted as credible. Investment resources must be unencumbered. Borrowing restrictions and particular post-grant arrangements have specific conditions, not a blanket permission to nominate any loan before application. Reserve values should also reflect the genuine position rather than an unsupported old figure.
Resources already in New Zealand may still need lawful-acquisition and applicable transfer evidence. Record a planned asset sale, completion, receipt and investment as separate stages. Identify missing evidence and the actual time needed to access resources before fixing acquisition and household commitments. A paper total should support a workable arrangement, not conceal a practical funding gap.
Official sources and verification date
18 October 2026
Comments