Visa processing will cease at the Auckland Central office, 280 Queen Street, on 27 July 2018 and staff will relocate to the INZ Manukau office. In the short term, INZ will retain a public counter and dropbox service at the Auckland Central location. For all public enquires, the counter service will be retained at Level 4, 280 Queen St beyond 27 July 2018 (the date on which visa processing will be withdrawn).
Label-less Visas Immigration New Zealand has moved to a new e-Visa system. eVisa is now online according to Immigration New Zealand. Visa holders and employers will therefore use VisaView, the online platform from Immigration New Zealand to view their immigration status. As a result, applicants will now be issued with an approval letter rather than visa labels, a vast improvement to the system.
New Zealand Pacific Access Category (PAC) Visa Allows citizens from particular Pacific countries such as Fiji, Tuvalu, Tonga and Kiribati to be granted residence in New Zealand each year. The places are limited to 250 places for Fiji and Tonga, Tuvalu and Kiribati just 75 annually. Interested persons may register their interest by filling out a registration form (available from INZ). The ballet is open for one month, usually April each year and at the closing of the ballet names are drawn from the pool by a computer system. If your name is drawn you are invited to apply for residence. Your partner and dependant children may also be included in the application. You must have a sustainable full-time job offer in New Zealand, meet health and character requirements, earn a minimum wage of $33,000 NZD per annum if you have dependent children and, pay the registration fee of $75.00. How to register? You must complete and sign a Pacific Access Category Registration Form (INZ 1092) PDF available from INZ website. You must also include: a photocopy of your birth certificate, and a photocopy of your partner’s and dependent children’s birth certificates a passport size photo of the Principal Applicant only the date of birth of each immediate family member included in your registration form. The PAC ballot the registration fee is NZ$75.00 If you have registered before in any previous year, you only need to pay a re-registration fee of NZ$30.00. These fees are not refundable if your registration is not drawn in the ballot. An additional fee may be payable if you apply through a visa application centre. Your registration form must be received by Immigration New Zealand no later than the advertised closing date, usually the 30 April or it [...]
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will increase application fees from the 7 December 2015. The new immigration levy fee will be charged on application rather than the old system where a fee was charged once the application was lodged. The fee will replace the migrant levy fee , which was paid once a successful applicant was, approved in principle, for residence. The fee will affect temporary visas including student, visitor and work visas, limited visas and some resident visas. INZ is also to cancel the $92 discount that applied on some applicants. If you're applying online, expect a different fee structure, this is to encourage applicants to use the system rather than submit paper copies. At present not all applicants are able to use the system, generally speaking if you are traveling with a partner or family you must use the paper system to submit your applications. INZ advised there will be no increase for those using the online system to apply for visitor or student visas. For more information on INZ news including this feature Immigration New Zealand News contact us.
If your thinking of visiting New Zealand you may not need to apply for a visa for a short stay. New Zealand has reciprocal agreements with many countries, allowing a waiver from having to apply for a visa prior to leaving your home country, this is called Visa Waiver. You can check if your country of citizenship is part of the Immigration New Zealand Visa Waiver program on the INZ website. You must apply for a visa to visit New Zealand before you travel if your country of citizenship is not listed on the above list. Before being granted a visa you will need to tell Immigration New Zealand about your health, any criminal convictions you hold and the reasons why you are coming to New Zealand, for example visiting friends and relatives, to see the sights of our beautiful country. You will also need to provide evidence of sufficient funds to support your holiday and proof that you plan to leave the country. Your passport must be valid and have at least three months validity after the date you are to have departed from your holiday in New Zealand. If you would like further information about the requirements, contacts us and we will be only too happy to help make you next holiday a reality.
Partners of New Zealand citizens who wish to remain with their partners in New Zealand may be able to do so. If you have been lucky enough to find your soul mate, the one you think you would like to spend the rest of your life with, but they are a New Zealand citizen and your not, Immigration New Zealand recognises the difficulties you face. To be eligible for residence in New Zealand based on partnership, Immigration New Zealand requires you and your partner to prove that you have been living in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months, but how do you do that if you only just met? In most cases, if your relationship is a true and genuine and you meet certain other criteria, you may be eligible for a work visa based on your partnership for a period of 12 months. This will allow you to clock up the 12 months needed to prove your relationship status and to see if you really do want to spend the rest of your life together. If you would like to know more, contact us through our website and we will assess your situation and work out the best way forward.
New Zealand is a beautiful Pacific nation built on migration, there are several options open to new migrants to call New Zealand home. As a Skilled Migrant, Business Investor or joining family already here. The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) visa is designed to attract people with particular skills to New Zealand to take up jobs that are unable to be fulfilled by citizens and residents, it works on a points system where points are awarded for employment, education, work history, age and family. Applicants with 100+ points are entered into a pool and applicants from highest down are picked from the pool each fortnight and issued with an Invitation to Apply. It takes anywhere from 4 - 9 months to get an SMC application assessed by Immigration New Zealand, so starting as soon as possible is a great idea!
New Zealand Essential Skills in Demand List Working in New Zealand may be easier than you think. New Zealand like many other countries has a shortage of Skilled Professionals, if your profession is listed on any of our three Skills in Demand Lists: Long term skills shortage list (LTSSL) Immediate Skills Shortage Lists (ISSL) and Canterbury Skills Shortage List your entry into New Zealand may be faster than you think. Check out the lists and contact us if you would like more information about your opportunities. Immigration New Zealand Essential Skills in Demand Lists Employers who are registered with Immigration New Zealand may employ persons from outside of New Zealand if their position is listed on any of the above lists. Employers may still have to provide evidence that no New Zealand citizen or resident has the ability to fill the position.
Once you have made that life changing decision to immigrate what happens next? Well we though we should put together some issues you may want to consider in your list of Things to Do: Consider and Decide on the following: Decide when you want to move and work back from there, gaining entry into New Zealand may not be an overnight task so be prepared and don't sell the house just yet. Arm yourself with knowledge about the immigration process, whether you want to work it out yourself or seek help from a Licensed Immigration Adviser. Gather the paperwork you will need for your visa applications and don't forget to include everyone applying. Don't forget your pets, depending on where your coming from your pets may need quarantine for a period of time before they are gracing your kitchen floor again. Lets assume your immigration side of the move is taken care of, do you have a job lined up or will you job search when you arrive? Where do you intend to live? Have you checked out what cities in New Zealand offer you the best quality of life and leisure? What community facilities would you like to live close to schools, swimming pools, ski fields, lakes? Do you have sufficient funds to support you and your family while you search for a home, job, school? You can find answers to all your questions in this link.
The excitment of the Americas Cup is definately building in New Zealand, as we watched our little team win the Louis Vuitton Cup in San Francisco this morning, how proud this nation stands when watching such an amazing spectical of Team New Zealand's massive effort. Well done boys, bring the cup home!
