To be granted a New Zealand visa or permit we need to be assured that a person from overseas and any family included in their application are of good character. We make this requirement to protect the well-being and security of New Zealanders.
Generally, we’ll not grant a visa or permit if a person:
- has ever been convicted and sentenced to a prison term of five years or more
- has been convicted and sentenced to a prison term for 12 months or more in the past 10 years
- has ever been deported from New Zealand or any other country
- is believed to have associated with criminal or terrorist groups or are in some way a danger to New Zealand.
We may also decline a person’s application if they have ever been convicted of an offence, including immigration, drug, and violence offences.
We carry out character checks on everyone 17 years of age or over who wants to stay in New Zealand for two years or more. We may also undertake a character check on anyone else that we consider may not meet our requirements.
Providing evidence of good character
The person applying for a visa or permit needs to provide police certificates as evidence of their good character. We need to see certificates for everyone 17 years of age and over included in their application. We need certificates from:
- the applicant’s country of citizenship (unless they can prove they never lived there) and
- any country the applicant has been in for 12 months or more in the last five years, whether in one or more visits.
See our leaflet How to obtain a police certificate (NZIS 1011) PDF for information on what to do.