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
- Managed isolation booking process
- Processing timeframes
- Working holiday visas deferred
- New agent agreement with MIT
- NZQA fast track
General Update
New Zealand remains at Level 1, with 64 active cases of Covid-19. There is no major community outbreak evident in the country.
Booking your Managed Isolation: step by step
Spaces in managed isolation are extremely limited pre-Christmas, but may become available as travel plans change. We recommend you continue checking the system for your preferred date. The following 4 steps would help you complete the process.
STEP ONE
- Create an individual or family registration
- Enter passenger details. For family registrations, enter the details of everyone in your group who is travelling to New Zealand with you.
STEP TWO
- Secure your accommodation
- Select your preferred arrival date in New Zealand. A 14-day stay in managed isolation will be held for 48 hours while you organise your flights.
STEP THREE
- Confirm your arrival details
- Book your flights then return here to enter your flight details to New Zealand. Your allocation in managed isolation will be confirmed.
STEP FOUR
- Print or download your Voucher
- You will need to present your Managed Isolation Allocation Voucher at the airport to board your flight to NZ.
For more information:
Official quarantine allocation website
Processing timeframes
Residence (Skilled Migrant Category & Residence From Work)
As of 13 November 2020, Immigration New Zealand is allocating:
- non-prioritised SMC* and RFW* applications received in May 2019, and
- prioritised SMC and RFW applications within 2 weeks of the application joining the priority queue
Critical Purpose Visitor Visa
You may apply for this visa from offshore if you have a critical purpose for coming to New Zealand and you have been invited to apply (ITA) for this visa. With this visa you can travel to New Zealand despite current border restrictions.
Normally it takes up to 2 weeks for processing, but due to the increasing caseload, the 14-day timeframe has been extended to approximately 4 weeks.
Continued deferral of Working Holiday Schemes
In April 2020, the Government deferred the opening of capped Working Holiday Schemes, as part of New Zealand’s response to COVID-19. This decision will be reviewed in 2021.
The Government will continue to defer the opening of all capped Working Holiday Schemes. These include:
- Capped schemes that were due to open from 9 April 2020 to 17 September 2020 (previously deferred)
- Capped schemes due to open from October 2020 to March 2021.
Uncapped Working Holiday Schemes remain open, however only people already in New Zealand can apply.
Authorised Agent with MIT
New Zealand Shores has been appointed as an approved agent for Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT provides a wide range of courses from Animal care to Digital Technologies. Contact us today to discuss your study pathway and how you could get a post-study work visa for up to 3 years. MIT is located in Manukau, Auckland, where there are numerous job opportunities. With a skilled job offer in hand, residence is on the way!
NZQA fast track
If you need to get your qualification assessed with urgency, and cannot wait the 25 working days usual completion timeframe, please get in touch with us. We can request fast-track processing if there are good reason to.
We at New Zealand Shores all hope that you have a great weekend and please get in contact with us if you have any questions.
Take care,
Winnie
