Immigration

The New Zealand Government is implementing short-term changes to enable temporary visa holders to remain in New Zealand lawfully. Why these measures? These temporary measures are meant to mitigate the impact that COVID-19 has had on migrants and New Zealand business. More information (INZ website) Extension for work visa holders Effective 10 July 2020 Employer-assisted work visa holders whose visas expire from 10 July to 31 December 2020 (inclusive) will be automatically extended by 6 months from their expiry date. …

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The COVID-19 crisis has put many migrants in New Zealand in a difficult position, and the New Zealand Government is responding with a set of initiatives to help alleviate this hardship. Are you a foreign national in need? There may be one or several organisations and initiatives that can provide assistance during these difficult times. Healthcare information All migrants with a work visa for 2 years or more –and their family– are eligible for public-funded healthcare. You are therefore entitled …

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Exemptions to border restrictions Update 19 April 2021 It is no longer required for the partners and dependent children of New Zealand citizens and residents to travel with their New Zealand citizen or resident partner/parent to New Zealand, they can now travel on their own to join the partner/parent, as long as they are from visa-waiver country. Contact us if you are in a relationship with a NZ citizen or resident and which to relocate to New Zealand   Eligibility …

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COVID-19 The Coronavirus crisis has heavily impacted Immigration New Zealand’s capacity to process all categories of visas, and has had an impact on visa applicants, accordingly. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, INZ has implemented the Epidemic Management Notice, which means applications from individuals who have a critical purpose for coming to New Zealand and some temporary visa categories for onshore visa applicants were strictly prioritised. May 2020 update 70% of onshore Immigration Officers are currently able to work, and increasing. …

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Update 13 May 2021 Immigration New Zealand suspended the ability for overseas applicants to apply for certain temporary visas on 10 August 2020. This suspension is being extended to 6 August 2021. If you submitted a temporary visa application from offshore before the suspension and it has not been processed yet, it will remain paused until the suspension is lifted. Despite the current restrictions, it remains possible to travel to New Zealand under certain conditions and eligibility criteria More information …

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New Zealand temporary border closures and exceptions INZ has clarified the exceptions that will qualify to enter New Zealand during the temporary travel ban: Essential health workers, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health Other essential workers, as confirmed by the New Zealand Government Citizens of Samoa and Tonga making essential travel to New Zealand People coming to New Zealand for humanitarian reasons Partners, dependent children and legal guardians of, and who are traveling with: New Zealand citizens or permanent …

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Updated 16th April Are visas still being processed by Immigration New Zealand? Yes. During the lock down (until 22nd April) however Immigration NZ are only processing prioritised applications. We are still preparing and lodging applications, which is important to do so. Ensuring your visa applications are lodged with Immigration at earliest opportunity has several benefits: Sooner in the queue means the sooner it will be allocated to an INZ case officer for a decision Your visa will be subject to …

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From Wednesday 25th March, NZ entered 4 weeks of isolation to try and reduce the spread of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus).  New Zealand is obviously not alone in this initiative, many countries around the world are also currently in isolation. With New Zealand being a physically isolated country surrounded by ocean, combined with strong border control measures, we have been relatively spared from the virus so far. The government is providing fantastic (financial) support to employers and employees and there are …

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