Existing eligibility for in-study work rights will be carried over when the new Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Resident Visa comes into effect on 9 October 2023. Most student visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week during term time, and full-time over course breaks. Students’ in-study work rights have typically been linked to […]
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is experiencing an increase in our processing times for the Job Check phase of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) system. Some applications are taking longer when we need to request or clarify information. The AEWV is New Zealand’s main temporary work visa. The Job Check stage helps ensure New Zealanders are first […]
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is changing how we respond to false or misleading information in visa applications. From 25 September 2023, immigration officers will begin using section 58(6) of the Immigration Act. This section allows an immigration officer to decline to grant a visa if an applicant (or their agent) submits false or misleading information […]
Many work and skilled residence visa categories have wage thresholds or criteria that are based on the median wage. The new median wage of NZD $31.61 an hour will be adopted into the immigration system in February 2024. Most wage thresholds indexed to the median wage will be updated. This includes the Accredited Employer Visa […]
Changes have been made to Interim Visa conditions to reflect the new partnership-based work visa instructions that took effect in May 2023. Interim Visas are generally granted automatically to allow migrants to remain in New Zealand lawfully while they wait for the outcome of their visa application. They are intended as a temporary measure only. […]
A maximum continuous stay for Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders takes effect from 27 November 2023. AEWV holders who are paid at least the median wage can spend a maximum of five years on an AEWV, after which they must spend 12 months outside New Zealand before they are eligible to be granted a further […]
The final expressions of interest (EOI) selection under the current Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) settings will happen on 16 August 2023, after which the EOI pool will formally close. A new simplified points system is being introduced for the SMC Residence Visa on 9 October 2023, replacing the current settings. All EOIs for the current […]
The Care Workforce and Transport Sector Agreements and the Green List Work to Residence visa categories will open for applications on 29 September 2023. Eligibility for these work to residence pathways will be extended to include all types of temporary work visas including Critical Purpose Visitor Visa with work conditions. Workers will need to meet […]
On July 30, Immigration New Zealand successfully improved their Enhanced Immigration Online system to give consumers access to more thorough visa application statuses. In addition to a detailed explanation of the tasks involved at each stage, the application status page now gives a high-level overview of the state the application is at. Applications for Visitor […]
Registrations for the 2023 Samoan Quota (SQ) and the Pacific Access Category (PAC) ballots will open on 1 August 2023 and close at 1700 (NZST) on 31 August. The SQ and PAC schemes allow people from Samoa and Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji to become permanent residents in New Zealand. Both schemes operate through an […]
