New 2021 resident visa announced

Update

Immigration New Zealand have confirmed that a new one-off residence visa pathway will be introduced.

General eligibility requirements have been released, these are as follows:

To be eligible, applicants must:

• have been in New Zealand on 29 September 2021, and

• be on aneligible visa or have applied for an eligible visa before 29 September 2021 that is later granted.

In addition, applicants must meet one of the following 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

Key dates and key points:

1. Applicants must meet requirements on 29 September 2021.
2. Phase 1 applications can be submitted from 1 December 2021 if:
   1. you have applied for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category or Residence from Work categories before 29 September 2021; or
   2. you have submitted a Skilled Migrant Category Expression of Interest, and have included your family in this on 29 September 2021
3. Phase 2 applications can be submitted from 1 March 2022 for all other eligible applicants.
4. These will be online applications.
5. All applications must be submitted by 31 July 2022.

Our thoughts

This is very positive news for work visa holders in New Zealand that are clearly able to meet requirements. We anticipate work visa holders will want to check their eligibility.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.