Immigration

Immigration New Zealand to refund Residence application fees over informal Prioritisation Criteria

INZ have decided to refund applicants with a Skilled Migrant or Residence from Work application in process should they no longer wish to obtain NZ residence. This resulted from an investigation into complaints that INZ were lacking in transparency over the implementation of prioritisation of certain applications over others. If you wish to withdraw your residence application you are now able to request a refund of the INZ application fee…   More information (INZ website) News article (NZ Herald) Who …

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Border Restrictions eased to allow hundreds of families to be reunited

Update 19 April 2021 From 30th April 2021, hundreds of families will be able to reunite as border exemptions are widened to include offshore family members.  This news will come as a relief for certain families who have been separated for over 1 year More information (INZ website) News article (NZ Herald) A welcome announcement Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced new border exemptions to allow hundreds of families to be reunited under new “Critical Purpose” criteria. Since New Zealand borders …

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Trans-Tasman Bubble starting 19th April 2021

As of 19 April 2021, New Zealanders can travel quarantine-free to Australia and vice versa. Both New Zealand and Australia have successfully contained covid-19 transmissions over the past 12 months and are now in a great position where we can open our borders to one another for quarantine-free travel. As of 19 April 2021, New Zealanders can travel quarantine-free to Australia and vice versa. This comes as welcome relief to many families and friends who have been separated; along with …

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Moving to New Zealand for Health Professionals

Are you a health worker seeking a change? Do not miss our upcoming webinar for health professionals opportunities in New Zealand. Monday 29 March 9am (NZDST) In your timezone: Sunday 28 March 9pm (UK) Sunday 28 March 10pm (RSA) Prudence Thomson from Accent Health will discuss employment opportunities in New Zealand, registration requirements, and how they can assist you to secure a role. Licensed Immigration Adviser Charlotte Natusch Stockman from New Zealand Shores will go through the latest updates from …

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Social workers now require Registration

Immigration New Zealand released an update announcing that as of the 1st of March, social workers would require registration with the Social Workers Registration Board in order to both work in New Zealand and obtain either a work visa or residence visa. The Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) are labelling this an exciting moment as it sets a standard of professionalism within the industry and allows them to join the ranks of other regulated professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers …

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End of week round up from New Zealand Shores, 26 February 2021

Let’s keep you all up to date on what has been happening and what the current status is at the New Zealand border. Visitor Visa holders allowed to remain in New Zealand Immigration New Zealand to close offshore branches New occupation codes for the dairy sector Residence appeal successful Further extensions to onshore visitor visa holders Immigration New Zealand is granted another 2 months automated extensions to certain categories of Visitor currently in New Zealand. Check if you qualify   …

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Visa processing brought back to New Zealand

Update 23 February 2021 Historically, Immigration New Zealand has relied on offices offshore to assist with the processing of certain categories of visas. Branches included location in China, India, the Philippines, or Pacific Islands. The borders closure has resulted in a drop of over 80% in the number of visa applications and INZ has decided to bring some of the work back on shore. Processing brought back onshore As a result of the drop in visa applications and workloads, INZ …

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Onshore Visitor visa holders granted automated extensions

Update 10 February 2021 Are you currently in New Zealand on a Visitor Visa? You may qualify for an automated extension and/or be allowed to stay another 2 to 6 months. The 2-months automatic extension is automatic and there is no fee. More information (INZ website) A 2-months automated extension for Visitor Visas Immigration New Zealand has just announced another round of automated extensions for Visitor Visa holders who are currently onshore. You will qualify for a two months extension …

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New occupation codes for the dairy sector

New occupation codes that better match the needs of the dairy sector New task descriptions for the dairy industry Three new task descriptions have been developed by Statistics New Zealand for dairy roles that sit under the occupation of Dairy Cattle Farmer (121313) in the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). The three new sub category positions are: Dairy Farm Manager (Skill Level 1) Assistant Dairy Farm Manager (Skill Level 3) Dairy Herd Manager (Skill Level 3) …

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End of week round up from New Zealand Shores, 29 January 2021

Let’s keep you all up to date on what has been happening and what the current status is at the New Zealand border. General update Government’s stance on reopening borders Approved classes of workers New timeframe for processing border exemptions Managed isolation and quarantine Negative COVID tests required General Update As we return to work after a well-deserve rest over Christmas, we are keeping very busy, processing work visas for many health professionals and partnership visas for Kiwis relocating to …

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New Zealand Shores