COVID UPDATES Archives - Page 2 of 7

INZ to Resume processing offshore residence applications

31/01/202309/12/2021

Offshore residence applications reopened Residence applications received by Immigration New Zealand from offshore applicants received before, and after March 2020, had so far been kept on hold. Across all categories, this represents over 5,000 residence applications which processing was on hold due to border restrictions. A recent court case has ruled that there was no legal ground to halt processing of these applications. INZ website First time resident visa holders to be allowed in NZ In line with these decisions, …

Staged reopening of New Zealand borders

31/01/202324/11/2021

Note: updated 19 January 2022 Reconnecting New Zealand to the World The Government has announced several dates to map out the reopening of New Zealand borders to international travellers. With restrictions dramatically eased for New Zealand citizens initially, the first quarter of 2022 will see these steps progressively extended to all travellers from April 2022. The announcement also comes with a substantial easing of quarantine requirements, allowing a reduced period of isolation at home rather than in managed facilities. Official …

Very High Risk Countries classification to be removed

31/01/202324/11/2021

Since April 2021, only New Zealand citizens and their immediate family member could travel to New Zealand from Brazil, India, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea. More information (Beehive) Travellers from Indonesia, Fiji, India, Pakistan and Brazil The Government has announced that the Very High-Risk classification for Indonesia, Fiji, India, Pakistan and Brazil will be removed early December 2021. Since April 2021, only New citizens and their family could travel to New Zealand from one of these countries. Travellers from these …

New Border class exception for 1,000 international tertiary students

31/01/202327/10/2021

More international students allowed in New Zealand A further border class exception for 1,000 international tertiary students has been approved by the New Zealand Government. This is very exciting news and a positive indication of the steps New Zealand is taking towards allowing students and workers into the country. This new exemption will allow certain categories of international students to commence their studies in New Zealand, namely: 400 pilot trainees 300 students at degree level and above, and 300 students …

MIQ spots for Healthcare workers

25/10/202121/10/2021

A change in process The New Zealand government has announced that it is changing the way that it manages MIQ (Managed Isolation and Quarantine) for Healthcare workers by guaranteeing 300 spots per month for the health and disability sector. Building and maintaining a world-class health workforce is vital in rebuilding the healthcare system and adding capability to deal with the Covid19 Pandemic. The specifically allocated rooms will allow for migrants and New Zealanders brining their skills home to easily obtain …

Vaccination required for everyone who is not a NZ citizen

25/10/202104/10/2021

A first step to the reopening of NZ borders The New Zealand government has announced that from the 1st of November, full vaccination will become a requirement for non-New Zealand citizens arriving in to New Zealand. The change has been implemented in order to add an extra layer of defence to New Zealand’s Covid response and assist with preventing as many covid positive people from entering New Zealand. The New Zealand government sees this as an important step in our …

One-off 2021 Resident visa announced for onshore migrants

25/10/202130/09/2021

New streamlined resident visa brings hope to 165,000 migrant workers A long-awaited decision on the long residence queue has now been reached, with the New Zealand Government opening a new, simplified residence process for onshore migrant workers. This decision and new visa category is meant to fast-track residence for an estimated 165,000 migrant workers potentially eligible, including 30,000 waiting on a residence decision, and 12,000 with an Expression Of Interest in the pool. More information (Beehive) Go to Visa page

Visa processing update and Extension of Travel Conditions

08/04/202203/09/2021

Update on visa processing during lockdown Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that paperbased applications cannot be processed while New Zealand is in level 3 or 4 lockdown. This for privacy and security reasons. We anticipate normal processing to resume progressively as the country eases into level 2, and 1. As a result, Variation of conditions on temporary work visas are not currently processed. However, Immigration is working on porting VOCs online to facilitate the process. No timeframe has been provided …

New Zealand lockdown restrictions update

25/10/202119/08/2021

Cases of COVID Delta are under control in the country once again update 8 September 2021 Kia Ora from New Zealand, Everywhere outside of Auckland has moved to Level 2 as of Wednesday 8 September! At alert level 2 there are less restrictions- this is exciting news as it provides a sense of normality back to our daily lives. Immigration New Zealand staff members will be able to resume processing hardcopy visa applications, such as Skilled Migrant Resident visas, when …

Government announcement: Roadmap to reopening borders

25/10/202112/08/2021

Reconnect New Zealanders to the world The New Zealand government has announced our 4 stage road map to reconnect New Zealanders to the world and allow us to welcome back international travellers starting in early 2022. We are currently in between stages 1 and 2 where we are looking to see our government develop their full requirements including vaccination, testing and reduced time in MIQ. In 2022 we are looking to see a phased approach to opening up travel pathways …