Immigrate to New Zealand

25/02/2022

NZ BORDERS REOPENING. Stay updated with the 5 step reopening of NZ borders with the below link. In summary here is what you need to know as its starts getting interesting from Step 3:

Step 3 — from Tuesday 12 April, 11.59 pm
The border reopens to:
1) temporary work and student visa holders currently outside New Zealand as long as they still meet their visa requirements.
3) temporary work and student visa holders currently inside New Zealand to leave at any time and return from step 3 (where their visa conditions allow).

Step 4 — from July 2022
Our borders will open to:
1) Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and other foreign nationals travelling from Australia
2) visitors from visa-waiver countries
3) Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders
4) temporary visitor visa holders who are outside New Zealand, as long as they meet their visa requirements.

Step 5 — from October 2022
The border opens for;
1) all other New Zealand visa holders, including visitor and student visas, unless the visa is closed or paused.
2) Applications for all New Zealand visas will reopen, unless the visa is closed or paused.

Entry to New Zealand from all countries remains strictly controlled to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

24/02/2022

2021 Resident Visa Phase 2 Changes.
There are some recent changes to the way Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will approach the processing of 21RV applications lodged in March. These are:
1) Applications will only open at 10am on the 1st of March (not at midnight as per phase 1).
2) No applications will be drawn for processing in March. The processing of applications will therefore start from April.
3) Applications will not be processed in a first come first served basis in April. INZ will use other criteria to determine which applications are processed first. Therefore there is no advantage to submitting applications in the the first week of March.
4) You will be allowed to submit applications without supporting documentation to give you time to obtain any missing documentation. You can therefore supply documentation at a later date.

Need help with your 21RV? Our fees are competitive and we can assist you quickly and effectively.

24/02/2022

WHEN are the NZ BORDERS going to OPEN? See below a handy table that outlines the 5 steps the NZ government is taking to open up the borders to international visitors and workers.
Need a hand with a visa based on the borders reopening? Give us a message about how we can help you reconnect with your loved ones by securing the right visa for them.

16/02/2022

From 21 February 2022 people who have a Skilled Migrant Category EOI in the pool, submitted on or before 29 September 2021, will be able to apply for their 2021 Resident Visa early.

If you are in this group, you will be emailed by Immigration New Zealand on the day you can start your early application. The order will be determined by the date that you entered your EOI into the pool. Emails will be sent daily by 6pm, between 21 February 2022 and 1 March 2022.

The 2021 Resident visa will be open for applications in two phases, with the first group of people able to apply from 1 December 2021.

09/02/2022

2021 Resident Visa - With less than 3 weeks before phase 2 of this visa opens, are you ready to lodge your application? Do you need assistance, advice, or a pre-submission review of your application? If so, drop us a message and we can give you a hand.
Don't delay, this visa closes at the end of July 2022.

29/10/2021

[INZ UPDATE] - INZ has released the full instructions for the 2021 Resident Visa which will provide far more clarity around the eligibility criteria. If you were unsure about your eligibility, now is the time to contact us about how can help you.

Have a great weekend!

13/10/2021

Afghan Emergency Resettlement Resident Category - what are the requirements?

The Afghan Emergency Resettlement Category is a special permanent resident visa available to Afghan citizens who
were assisted, by the New Zealand Government, to evacuate from Afghanistan to New Zealand for the purpose of
resettlement in New Zealand.

You must meet all of the following requirements:
• be a citizen of Afghanistan
• have been in Afghanistan on 15 August 2021
• have entered New Zealand on or after 16 August 2021
• be in New Zealand when you make the application
• be of good character.

And you must also meet ONE of the following three criteria:
• Held a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa on the basis of assisting a New Zealand Government agency in Afghanistan
• Held a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa that was granted between 15 August and 12 September 2021
• Travelled to New Zealand by 12 September 2021

Contact us for more information.

13/10/2021

Government provides certainty to working holiday and seasonal visa holders and employers for summer.

The Government will extend Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas for six months to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders over the coming summer period, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced.

More than 8,500 people on Working Holiday visas and SSE work visas due to expire between 21 December 2021 and 30 June 2022 will benefit from the six month extension.

The Government will extend Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas for six months to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders over the coming summer period, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced.

11/10/2021

APPROVED VISA – Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa.
Yesterday we obtained a CAMVV approval for a couple we have been working closely with for several months. They have been engaged, through a recognised cultural tradition, for over two and a half years, but had been unable to wed due to covid travel restrictions and the growing unrest in their home country of Afghanistan.

With this visa approval, the fiancé can now travel to New Zealand and wed the fiancée of his dreams. A condition of this type of visa is that the couple is required to marry within three months of the applicant’s arrival in New Zealand.

We are always proud of CAMVV approvals and they are difficult to obtain and require a significant body of supporting evidence.

If you need any assistance with a upcoming visa application please contact us on +64279110096 or [email protected] or visit immigrationmanagement.co.nz

10/10/2021

NEW 2021 RESIDENT VISA - Q&A

We have a little more clarity directly from INZ to answer some of your common questions relating to this new visa.

Q: If a person is working in a role on the LTTSL, are they eligible only if they meet the criteria for that role in LTTSL, or is it sufficient for them to be employed in that role alone?
A: No, the requirement is only for the person to be working in the role. There are no work experience/qualification requirements in the policy.

Q: For the holder of a post-study work visa who has been in New Zealand for 3 years, do they need to be working or can they meet the settled criteria?
A: They need to meet one of the criteria. If they meet the settled criteria, they do not need to meet either of the other two. So, they do not need to be working.

Q: For the $27 per hour criteria, does the person need to be working full-time, or is it just that they have to be paid $27per hour?
A: Yes, they must be in full-time work. For example, 30 hours per week. The employment must also be genuine and credible.

Q: What will the impact be on priority processing for other residence visas?
A: We will continue to process residence visas under the priority matrix stipulated at A16.1. In some instances, applicants may have two applications under assessment concurrently. In this situation, their 2021 Resident Visa will be prioritised.

Q: What will the assessment criteria be (i.e. character, health, English)?
A: The full criteria will be set out in the immigration instructions, but the basic criteria are:
• No English language requirements
• No age requirements
• Standard character requirements, but no need to provide offshore police certificates
• Limited medical requirements

Q: Is there any indication of fees?
A: Rules about fees need to be set out in Regulations. Cabinet will shortly consider decisions about what changes to Regulations concerning fees will be required.

Q: If an applicant who has applied for SMC/RFW decides to apply for Residence under the 2021 RV can they get a refund of the RFW/SMC lodgement fee?
A: Rules about fees need to be set out in Regulations. Cabinet will shortly make decisions about what changes to Regulations concerning fees.

Q: For those SMC/RFW applications that have been lodged since late 2019/early 2020 we need to understand whether they now must apply under the new category or if they are still ‘close’ to getting their existing residence visa applications processed and can ‘wait it out’ so to speak.
A: It will be up to them – they can choose whether to wait it out or to apply under the new category. As above, SMC/RFW applications will continue to be processed.

30/09/2021

INZ New 2021 Resident Visa. Do you qualify?

One of the best aspects of this new visa: Partners and dependent children, including those currently OUTSIDE New Zealand, can be included in residence applications.

Eligibility. To be eligible you must: have been in New Zealand on 29 September 2021, AND
be on an eligible visa or have applied for an eligible visa on or before 29 September 2021 that is later granted.

You must also meet one of the three criteria: have lived in New Zealand for three OR more years, OR earn at or above the median wage ($27 per hour), OR work in a role on a scarce list.

Read below or give us a shout for more information.

Some work visa holders currently in New Zealand as well as some critical purpose visitor visa holders may be eligible to apply for residence under the new residence category – the 2021 Resident Visa.

05/03/2021

“New Zealand will not be throwing open its doors to the large numbers of new migrants seen in recent years, once it is ready to reopen the border.
The strong signal is while the government will use migration to fill skills gaps, businesses should get used to the idea of using the labour force already available.”

New Zealand will not be throwing open its doors to the large numbers of new migrants seen in recent years, once it is ready to reopen the border.

24/02/2021

"A review of the skilled migrant category is one of my priorities for this term," Faafoi said in a written statement. "Decisions around the scope and timing of any such review are currently under consideration. No decisions on settings or planning range have been made at this stage.

"EOI selections in Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) and Parent categories are currently suspended. No decisions about when EOI selections will resume have been made. In October, the government decided to further defer EOI selections for the SMC. This will be reviewed again by the end of March 2021."

The immigration minister is considering a revamp of New Zealand's largest residence programme.

23/12/2020

Who can and who cannot travel to New Zealand while our borders are closed. You can only submit an expression of interest to travel to New Zealand if one of these critical purpose reasons applies to you.

Those that can are (conditions apply within these categories):
* Australian citizens or permanent residents who are partners of NZ citizens or residents
* Partners from visa-waiver countries
* Family members of NZ citizens or residents who do not hold relationship-based visas
* Partners and dependent children of NZ work or student visa holders
* Normally resident work visa holders
* Critical health workers
* Where humanitarian reasons apply
* PhD and postgraduate students
* Other critical workers

You may be able to travel to New Zealand while the border is closed if we consider you have a critical purpose to travel.

20/12/2020

Important information out today from the New Zealand government regarding comprehensive visa changes to allow onshore migrants to help fill labour shortages.

Highlights include:
* Six month extension for employer-assisted work visa holders
* Postponed stand down period for low-paid Essential Skills visa holders
* Retain 2019 median wage of $25.50 per hour for immigration settings until at least July 2021
* Working Holiday visas extended by 6 months

Six month extension for employer-assisted work visa holders

18/12/2020

Temporary visa suspensions for overseas applicants now suspended until May 2021. The following offshore temporary entry class visa applications are not affected:

* relationship-based visas for partners and dependent children of New Zealand citizens and residents
* visas for diplomatic, consular and official staff and accompanying dependants
* Antarctic Traveller Visitor visas and Antarctic Work visas
* Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Limited visas

Updates for student visa holders and applicants.

17/12/2020

From mid 2021 INZ will be introducing a new temporary work visa to replace the following 6 visas:
* Essential Skills Work Visa
* Essential Skills Work Visa — approved in principle
* Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa
* Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
* Silver Fern Job Search Visa (closed 7 October 2019)
* Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa

The new visa application process will be employer led. Before hiring a migrant on the new employer-assisted temporary work visa, employers will need to apply for accreditation, apply for a job check to make sure the role they want to fill cannot be done by New Zealanders, and request a migrant worker to apply for a visa.

For more information please drop us a message.

After mid-2021, we are introducing a new 3-check visa application system and replacing six temporary work visas with one.

20/11/2020

Immigration New Zealand postponed an SMC webinar for advisers earlier today (just minutes before we were set to begin). The interesting part is the reason given: upcoming policy changes. It would be fair to say that the SMC residency category may be undergoing some significant changes shortly.

Will keep you posted.

19/11/2020

“While the government understands the frustrations work visa holders stuck overseas are going through, current border restrictions will continue until the Covid situation is safe enough, says the Immigration Minister.”

Border restrictions for work visa holders stuck overseas will remain in place, says Immigration Minister.

20/10/2020

Valve Corporation CEO Gabe Newell has confirmed to 1 NEWS that he is applying for New Zealand residency. If he becomes a resident, he will be among New Zealand's wealthiest, with a net worth according to Forbes of about NZ$6 billion.

Newell says reports of him looking to start a Valve office in New Zealand are inaccurate - but that's not to say it's a bad idea.

19/10/2020

The New Zealand Government will continue to defer the Expression of Interest selection process for the Skilled Migrant Category and Parent Resident Category for a further 6 months. This decision will be reviewed in 2021.

The continued deferral of these EOI selections allows INZ to focus on processing applications from people who are in New Zealand or those eligible to travel here while border restrictions are in place.

The deferral of the Expression of Interests (EOI) is a measure assists Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to focus on processing applications from people in New Zealand or eligible to travel here while border restrictions are in place.

14/10/2020

The New Zealand government has announced a new category that will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand, with the first expected to arrive next month.

"These are students who hold or held a visa for 2020, and whose long-term commitment to study here was disrupted by Covid-19. Priority will be given first to those who need to be in the country for the practical components of their research and study."

The government has announced a new category that will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand, with the first expected to arrive next month.

12/10/2020

29/08/2020

Traffic alert... expect delays on the road to Motunau Beach this afternoon!

27/08/2020

Levitation at elevation... some fun in the Port Hills after taking the 🚠 up to the top. Amazing 360 degree views from the decks and a great cafe. Well worth the trip up.

26/08/2020

Our young family absolutely love all the hikes and trails that crisscross the Port Hills. Living in embraces the and the .

24/08/2020

A view along the hike leading between Taylor’s Mistake and Godly Head ( ). You certainly feel like you are at the edge of the world.

24/08/2020

New Zealand rural adventures... stunning drive out of Christchurch into the Southern Alps.

19/08/2020