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• All temporary entry class and residence class visa applicants can re-use previously submitted medical and chest X-ray certificates provided which they are less than 36 months old, unless there are identified risk factors.
• Applicants who have spent six consecutive months since their last application in any country outside the list of countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis (TB), must be re-screened for TB, which will require them to provide a new chest X-ray certificate.
• Foreign fee-paying students (excluding PhD and New Zealand Aid Programme-supported students) will not be required to provide a medical certificate and will only be screened for TB, which will require them to provide a chest X-ray certificate, unless there are identified risk factors.
• Foreign fee-paying students (excluding PhD and New Zealand Aid Programme-supported students) must hold acceptable insurance as a condition of their student visa.
• Partners and dependent children of New Zealand citizens and residents, and people who have been recognised as having refugee or protection status in New Zealand (and their partners and children), will only be screened for medical conditions for which a medical waiver cannot be granted.
• Partners and dependent children of New Zealand citizens and residents who were:
  • eligible for inclusion in a residence application made by their partner or parent, but were not included in, or
  • were withdrawn from their partner or parent’s application
    will be required to undergo full medical screening rather than limited screening, if they apply for any type of visa in the future.  They will also be ineligible for a medical waiver if they do not have an acceptable standard of health.

Where it has been determined that it is likely that an applicant will impose significant cost or demand on New Zealand’s health or special education services, the applicant’s (or other party’s) ability to pay for or provide health or special education services, has no bearing on whether they will impose significant cost or demand on these services.

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Fees will increase by an average of 16.7 percent. The increase reflects the cost of delivering immigration services. New Zealand’s fees will remain broadly comparable to competitor countries.

Around 80 percent of visitors will not be affected by these increases as they travel visa free.

You can see what the new fees will be by looking at our fees spreadsheet. Use the dropdown menus in cells C5 and D5 to choose the country and currency you want to view the fee for. See the spreadsheet [XLS].

Our office and fees finder will be updated on 2 July 2012. Until then, it will show the current fees only.

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The Samoan Quota & Pacific Access Category registration for 2016 – 2017 is now open from 1st April until 30th April 2016, this will allow 1100 Samoan citizens to apply for Resident Visa under this Policy. The PAC will include the citizens of Tonga, Tuvalu,  Kiribati & Fiji. The successful registrants will be  make known and announce on publicly  on the 10th  June 2016 on radio, newspaper, our Office in Auckland and Apia same as Immigration New Zealand  Branches in Apia, Tonga & Suva and every INZ Branches in New Zealand. Only those with numbers drawn in the ballot will receive letters from INZ to apply and they will be given six months to lodge their application for Residency Visa under these two Policies. The successful applicant should have  a genuine & sustainable employment offer with rate required and meets a minimum English. Also all applicants included in the application must meet health and character requirements.

This year intake for the Samoan Quota 2016 – 2017 is 1100 as required in every year while  the PAC still remain the same  and all applications  must receive by the INZ for  consideration on the last day of March 2017.

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New Zealand faces growing global competition for migrants with the skills we need to grow our economy.  Being able to sponsor your parents to live here is important to help attract and retain skilled migrants.  As a result of these policy changes, many skilled migrants who wish to sponsor their parents for residence here will experience a swifter decision and less bureaucratic criteria.  This will give New Zealand a competitive advantage in the international hunt for these highly skilled workers.

These immigration policy changes will also help ensure we are attracting family migrants who are self-sufficient and can settle well.  The door will still be open to parents of other migrants but their applications will not be prioritised.

Key changes are as follows:

Parent Category

Parents will be prioritised:

• who either have a guaranteed minimum income, or bring funds with them, so are better able to support themselves, or
• whose adult children earn enough to support their parents without any need for taxpayer assistance.

Parents with poor English will continue to be eligible but they must purchase English language tuition to help them to settle well in New Zealand.

Background

Sponsored parents help maintain family and cultural linkages but most (87 percent of parents surveyed after 18 months residence in New Zealand) are not in paid employment.

Around 3,500 – 4,000 parents are approved for residence each year.

Sibling and Adult Children Category

The Sibling and Adult Child Category will close because it does not generate sufficient economic benefit for New Zealand.

Background

Only 66 percent of sponsored siblings and adult children interviewed 18 months after gaining residence had jobs, despite a job offer for ongoing and sustainable work being required to gain residence.

Residence requirements for young adult children

The Dependent Child Category and associated residence requirements will be amended.

The criteria are being relaxed so that young adult children aged 18 to 20 may be eligible for residence – even if they have a job in their home country – provided they are single, have no children and are included, or were declared, in their parents’ residence application.

Previously adult children in that age group were not able to be included in their parents’ residence application if they had a job in their home country.

Those aged 21 to 24 will still only be eligible to migrate if they can show that they are financially dependent.

Changes to the sponsorship period

Sponsorship includes a responsibility on the New Zealand sponsor to ensure the sponsored person has accommodation and maintenance for a specified time while in New Zealand.  Sponsors are also responsible for the costs of outward travel (if repatriation or deportation is required).

The sponsorship term for parents will initially remain at five years, but the Government has decided it will amend the Immigration Act 2009 at some time in the future to extend the sponsorship term for family-sponsored migrants to 10 years.

The timing for this amendment has not been decided.

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The fees that Immigration New Zealand charges for immigration services will change on 02 July 2012. The changes will only affect payments made offshore and inside  New Zealand.

INZ is changing the fees because currency exchange rates have changed significantly in recent months, and the fees that we charge outside New Zealand are no longer aligned with the value of the New Zealand dollar.

If you lodge an application on or after on and after 02 July 2012 you must pay the new fee, or INZ will not accept your application.

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The Minister of Immigration has announced changes that will give religious workers a pathway to residence.

What is religious work?

Religious work is work that directly serves the religious objectives of the sponsoring organisation and can include, (for example) conducting public and private prayer, undertaking ordination, and officiating at religious ceremonies.  A definition will be included in the operational policy.

What has changed?

The three existing policies available to religious workers will be revoked.  A new policy will be introduced that comprises both:

• a Temporary visa (maximum stay of four years), and
• a Resident visa.

How do the new policies compare with the existing policies?

The new policies facilitate the entry of short-term to long-term religious workers.  Existing policies do not lead to residence for religious workers, which can hinder continuity in pastoral care for communities.  The new policies will help to resolve this problem.

Will people who are eligible under the existing policies be able to use the new policies?

Many will be able to do so.  Genuine religious workers should not have difficulty obtaining a visa under the new policies, provided religious organisations are registered charities (with the purpose of advancing religion) and the religious workers can demonstrate they meet the criteria.

Will some communities be disadvantaged by the new policies?

No, provided they meet the criteria.  If religious organisations are currently not registered charities they have the option of registering with the Charities Commission.  The requirements for registration can be found on the Charities Commission website.

Why it has taken a long time to get decisions?

The Government has reviewed and amended a number of immigration policies since coming into power.  It takes time ensure a robust and thorough policy process is undertaken.  A significant part of the religious workers review has been the extensive consultation with interested parties and government agencies.  We wanted to ensure the new policy would facilitate the entry of religious workers and at the same time manage risk to the immigration system.

Why is there a shortage of religious workers?

The shortage exists for two reasons.  Firstly, New Zealand is becoming an increasingly diverse country.  Almost one in five New Zealand residents was born overseas.  There has been an increase in the number of people whose religion is non-Christian – such as members of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Islam faiths. Secondly, there are shortages of applicants for Christian vocations (for example, the Catholic priesthood).

The new policies will give migrants the opportunity to practise, maintain and advance their religious beliefs.  The new pathway to residence for religious workers will help religious communities meet their long-term needs.

What are the problems with the existing policies?

Not all existing policies require evidence that applicants have relevant qualifications, skills or work experience.  This means some low-skilled people who would not otherwise be able to work in New Zealand can enter and undertake non-religious work that could be done by New Zealanders.

Genuine religious workers also face barriers to residence because, for example, they are not in a conventional employment relationship and often do not earn a salary.

How does a religious organisation demonstrate a long-term need for religious workers?

This detail is yet to be finalised.  Some possible ways of demonstrating long-term need could include providing information about the religious community (numbers and whether the community is increasing) and evidence that the continuity of pastoral care would be affected.  This would be a case-by-case assessment as we recognise the variety of needs of different religious organisations.

Why is there an English language requirement?

The English language requirement will help ensure a religious worker can integrate into the community and contribute to wider society.  This requirement will not prevent religious workers from conducting services in their native language.  The English language level is not specific to religious workers – almost all immigration residence policies require a certain level of English.  Religious workers are skilled workers and, having been here on a temporary visa for three years, it should not be difficult for them to meet the required level of English, which is not high.

Why is there an age limit for those seeking residence?

The age limit is to ensure migrants can make a substantive contribution to New Zealand and their community before retiring.  It also helps to minimise short-term costs to the Crown (particularly health costs, which tend to rise as people age).  The age limit is consistent with existing policies – in particular, the Skilled Migrant Category.

Religious workers are similar to other applicants for residence under the Skilled/ Business stream, they are skilled as a result of their training, experience and in some cases, qualifications.  The Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification Occupation recognises religious workers as skilled.

Why is there an income requirement before dependent children can enter New Zealand?

The income requirement will help ensure the welfare of dependants.  It is also consistent with the Essential Skills temporary work policy.  Not all religious workers will be able to meet this income requirement, which is why there is the alternative option of the religious organisation sponsoring dependants.  The sponsor would be responsible for accommodation, maintenance and repatriation of the dependant.

Will the number of religious workers coming here change much as a result of these new policies?

Over 500 religious workers have been in New Zealand for more than three years, a significant proportion of whom are likely to apply for residence under the new policies.  Initial estimates of demand for the residence policy after this initial ‘peak’ are at around 100 approvals a year.

Will religious workers who have been here for three years or more be able to apply for residence straight away?

Yes.  Religious workers who have been working in New Zealand while holding a work visa granted under one of the existing categories for ministers of religion, missionaries and members of religious orders and meet the new residence criteria will be eligible for residence.

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