Government opens up NZ resident visa applications for migrant families disrupted by Covid

Public Policy / news

Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi says the new 'one-off' visa pathway will help retain the skills the country needs to support economic recovery

1st Dec 21, 8:19am by David Hargreaves

The Government's opened applications for the 'one-off-pathway' NZ resident visa for migrant families disrupted by Covid-19.

Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi said the new pathway would "help retain the skills New Zealand businesses need to support the economic recovery".

The Government estimates up to 15,000 migrants who have lived in New Zealand for the last three years or who work in skilled or scarce jobs, and were in New Zealand on 29 September 2021, will be able to apply in this "first round".

However, it’s estimated that around another 150,000 migrants could be eligible for the 2021 Resident Visa in "Phase Two". That one will open for applications from March 1, 2022. Applications for both Phase One and Phase Two will be open until 31 July 2022.

"The Government has created this new one-off residence pathway recognising the immense contribution migrants have made to New Zealand during COVID-19 and appreciating the uncertainty they have faced with border restrictions," Faafoi said.

To be eligible for this first phase a person must also have already submitted either a:

Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) application; or
Residence from Work application; or
SMC Expression of Interest (EOI) which includes dependent children who were 17 years or older as at 29 September 2021.

"We are expecting high demand in the first few weeks, with lots of people wanting to submit their application early, but we ask people to be patient," Faafoi said.

"We recognise that some of these individuals have been waiting for residence for a long time and are eager to get their applications in quickly, but they have plenty of time to apply."

Faafoi said the Government had been working hard to make sure the new 2021 Resident Visa application process is "simple, streamlined and easy for individuals"

"Immigration New Zealand is committed to processing the vast majority of these applications within 12 months, with some much sooner."

More information about the 2021 Resident Visa is available on the Immigration New Zealand website, including an eligibility checker, a “How to Apply” video, outlining the application process, and an Application Checklist.

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15 Comments

by Advisor | 1st Dec 21, 10:14am 1638306844

Tens of thousands of eligible house buyers in 2022 and a hundred-thousand plus voters for NZ Election 2024 - mostly in Auckland.

Things could get a whole lot interesting.

by Lapun | 1st Dec 21, 10:40am 1638308406

Kris Faafoi said the new pathway would "help retain the skills New Zealand businesses need to support the economic recovery"

How does INZ define 'skill'? Is it an ability to do tasks no available Kiwi can manage (eg brain surgeon) or does it mean a willingness to do tasks no available Kiwi is willing to do (eg Uber driver)?

The solution is simple - make them pay. That distinguishes who is really needed from who is desperate;. It would also pay for the physical and social costs that every immigrant imposes on the NZ taxpayer.

by Jarlaith | 1st Dec 21, 11:54am 1638312857

You do realise that we immigrants pay taxes and therefore are ‘NZ taxpayer’? And can you elaborate on these ‘costs’ that I have imposed?

by sparrow | 1st Dec 21, 12:26pm 1638314798

Where to start. Housing, hospitals, schools, roads, water, wastewater etc etc.

Everything that's in short supply, since the geniuses in charge decided it was a good idea to increase the population by 2% a year from net overseas migration.

by Advisor | 1st Dec 21, 1:31pm 1638318696

In the past 18 months of low population growth, we have fallen well-short of catching up with the massive infrastructure backlog, let alone build enough capacity to reinstate high migration rates.

Unless new migrants, regardless of their skill level, can live in announced houses, seek healthcare at hospitals under planning and drive on roading projects being consulted on; we cannot have more people moving to NZ without worsening the living standards of our wider population.

by Jarlaith | 1st Dec 21, 6:27pm 1638336430

I don’t disagree that successive governments have underinvested in infrastructure whilst promoting mass migration, but then again voters continue to vote for political parties that rely on immigration to produce a GDP growth (which allegedly is a good thing) whilst promising fiscal prudence.

by Lapun | 1st Dec 21, 5:09pm 1638331752

I am immigrant so have had time to think about it over the last 18 years. Take the infrastructure costs that relate only to population growth. The CRL, the three tunnels built on motorways in Auckland, the extensions to the hospitals, etc. Then there are the costs related to my three grandchildren all born here - new teachers, class rooms and even a new school. Then there is my wife and I qualifying for NZ super (my wife in a couple of year's time) which is a present from the NZ taxpayer worth about $500,000 each (just try buying a similar annuity). Training and employing the nurses and doctors who treated me for eye and heart issues and my wife's cancer treatment. That is barely a start. On the other hand my wife and I and our adult children have paid taxes - in the case of my wife and we have earned combined somewhere under $100,000 pa so say $30,000 per year has gone to the IRD and over 18 years that is $540,000. Seriously it is a bargain to have not only the roads, education, running water, welfare benefits but also a clean safe country to live in. Like every other immigrant if I wasn't happy I could leave.

by Anzac888 | 1st Dec 21, 12:44pm 1638315881

Skill=willingness to accept low wages/conditions/minimum stability.

by JKB | 1st Dec 21, 2:18pm 1638321514

“Skilled” means being willing and able to work

by Lapun | 1st Dec 21, 5:13pm 1638332007

According to the stats published just under 30% of immigrants are recorded as 'skilled'. Being a tour guide or manager of a liquor outlet is recorded as skilled. Although as in my own case my partner is smart and so are half our kids - not sensational but better than average. So are some of the refugees. Make your own judgement when you meet an immigrant.

by powerupkiwi | 1st Dec 21, 6:33pm 1638336839

They do pay. Immigrants are a net text benefit by far.

And what’s the practical difference between jobs that NZers can’t do and jobs they don’t want to do? The immigrant is fulfilling a local demand. Win-win. Do you want to go back to $120 airport taxi rides, or pay more for produce?

by Lapun | 1st Dec 21, 11:16pm 1638353801

This depends on your definition of immigrant. For example all children born in NZ are instantly treated as Kiwis - nothing wrong with that but it skews the stats. Secondly if it was as simple as average immigrants are a tax benefit (ie pay our govt more than they receive) then theoretically swapping 1m people with another country would cause both countries to become wealthier. Analyse the flaw in that argument and you get to the truth - well paid immigrants enhance NZ but poorly paid immigrants hold us back economically (proven by our drop from equal wealthiest nation to number 42). The poorly paid prospective immigrant is likely to be exploited.

by Squishy | 1st Dec 21, 12:07pm 1638313652

Labour are really backing up the truck on immigration aren't they? Have to keep house prices booming somehow.

by Lapun | 1st Dec 21, 5:18pm 1638332315

There is a matter of distribution. Sociologists discovered 100 years ago that immigrants are more likely to clump together in big cities than comparable natives. Undoubtedly many young Kiwis from rural areas move to Auckland but rather more NZ born citizens leave Auckland than arrive so its dramatic population growth is the result of foreign-born immigration. It helps to keep house prices high and services such as cleaners, Uber drivers, fast food operatives cheap.

by CWBW | 1st Dec 21, 6:03pm 1638334989

This is good for the country!