The Kiwi Dream | One-Off Residency Visa

Immigration New Zealand (“INZ”) announced in September 2021, that there would be a one-off residency visa available for eligible applicants - exciting news for migrant Employees wanting to call New Zealand home.

The first phase of applications opened 1 December 2021, for individuals who:

  • Had already applied for residency under the Skilled Migrant or Residence from work categories, prior to 29 September; or

  • Had submitted a Skilled Migrant Category Expression of interest and have included a dependent child in the Expression of Interest aged 17 years or older on 29 September.

The second phase of applications opens 1 March 2022 for all other eligible applicants to apply.

To be eligible for the one-off residency visa, applicants must:

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

  • be on an eligible visa on 29 September 2021, or have an application submitted for an eligible visa on 29 September 2021, that was later granted. 

Additionally, applicants must also meet a settled, skilled, or scarce criteria, detailed as below:

  • Lived in New Zealand for the past three or more years, or

  • Earn at or above the median wage (NZD $27 per hour), or

  • Work in a role on a scarce list.

Applicants only need to meet one of the above to be considered eligible for the one-off residence visa, resulting in residency becoming a reality for many individuals living in New Zealand – this is life-changing news for many people and their families, and additionally great news for Employers, who have migrant Employees that are key to their business, and whose skills are otherwise tough to find in the New Zealand market.  

Applicants must apply for the one-off residency visa before 31 July 2022, and with this being a great opportunity, we recommend you connect with your team and encourage them to check their eligibility and start to prepare their application, depending on which phase category they fall into.

To apply, or for more information including partnerships requirements, dependent children, interim visas and criteria, we recommend you refer to Immigration NZ’s website.

Please note, People Passion are not licensed immigration advisors and this article is provided for general information purposes only. If you need immigration advice, specific to your needs, we recommend seeking specialist support from a licensed immigration advisor.  

 
 
 

Krista McDowell

HR Partner

Human ResourcesPeople PassionWork Visa