New Zealand Entrepreneur Work Visa: legacy-only status in 2026

The old Entrepreneur Work Visa category is closed to new applicants.

INZ's current Entrepreneur Work Visa application form states that the category is only for people who already hold an Entrepreneur Work Visa and need a renewal or change of business plan. This point matters because older web summaries can still make the historical route look open to new founders.

Historical settings are not a current new-founder route

The legacy category used rules such as a business plan, an investment amount and a points scale. Those historic settings should not be used as instructions for a new applicant in 2026.

A person who already holds an Entrepreneur Work Visa may still need to follow its start-up/balance-stage conditions and may qualify for a further visa in limited circumstances.

Entrepreneur Resident Visa remains relevant for legacy cases

The Entrepreneur Resident Visa remains available for qualifying people who have been self-employed in New Zealand and meet its current business and visa-history requirements. Applicants with less than two years of self-employment generally need a current Entrepreneur Work Visa and additional investment/job-creation evidence.

New business migrants should compare the current Business Investor Work Visa, which is designed around investment in an established business, rather than assuming New Zealand currently offers a general startup-founder visa.

Official guidance: INZ Entrepreneur Work Visa form — closed to new applicants and Entrepreneur Resident Visa.

Related: Business Investor route, Active Investor Plus, New Zealand hub, startup visas.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in New Zealand