New Zealand Residence Programme - Investor (Investor 2 category) Wednesday, 23 May 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Migrant Investment Category, Investor (Investor 2 category), took place on Wednesday 23 May 2012. Seven (7) EOIs were selected. All EOIs with a claim of between 37 and 71 points were selected.
VisaView system issues Thursday, 17 May 2012 There have been some system issues with VisaView lately, and this has been impacting negatively on a number of employers.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 16 May 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 16 May 2012.
Changes to receiving offices Wednesday, 16 May 2012 From 26 May 2012, the receiving office for temporary applications for people applying from a number of countries is changing.
Changes to immigration family residence categories Thursday, 10 May 2012 The changes to immigration family policies will help New Zealand attract and retain skilled migrants, and ensure that family migrants can settle well and are self-sufficient.
Submission on the Immigration Amendment Bill Thursday, 10 May 2012 The Government has announced amendments to the Immigration Act to deter a mass arrival of potentially illegal migrants into New Zealand.
Silver Fern Job Search scheme - applicants affected by technical error Thursday, 10 May 2012 A technical error occurred shortly after the Silver Fern Job Search opened on Friday 4 May, which enabled people to submit applications and pay the application fee after all the places had been filled. All those affected were contacted on Friday and received an apology for the error and were advised they would receive a full refund.
June 2012 Quarterly INZ Customer Satisfaction Survey Wednesday, 9 May 2012 We will be emailing a survey invitation to a number of recent visa applicants. The June 2012 Quarterly INZ Customer Satisfaction Survey asks visa applicants questions about their application experience.
New Zealand Residence Programme - Investor (Investor 2 category) Wednesday, 9 May 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Migrant Investment Category, Investor (Investor 2 category), took place on Wednesday 9 May 2012. Five (5) EOIs were selected. All EOIs with a claim of between 37 and 68 points were selected.
INZ signs MoU with Education New Zealand Tuesday, 8 May 2012 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and Education New Zealand (ENZ) on 24 April 2012 will strengthen the framework of the New Zealand Specialist Agents (NZSA) programme and create a number of benefits for New Zealand’s export education industry.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 2 May 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 2 May 2012.
Changes to work visa applications for entertainment industry personnel Monday, 30 April 2012 Changes in visa requirements for temporary workers in the music, screen and entertainment industry take effect on 30 April 2012. The changes apply to entertainers, performing artists and associated support personnel, film and video production and post-production crew, producers and directors.
New Zealand Residence Programme - Investor (Investor 2 category) Thursday, 26 April 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Migrant Investment Category, Investor (Investor 2 category), took place on Thursday 26 April 2012. Eleven (11) EOIs were selected. All EOIs with a claim of between 38 and 65 points were selected.
Research shows skilled migrants points system working well Thursday, 19 April 2012 New research by the Department of Labour has found the Skilled Migrant Category is generally working well, with 94 percent of skilled migrants in jobs three years after migrating, and earning on average $30 an hour.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Thursday, 19 April 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 18 April 2012.
June 2012 INZ Contact Centre Survey Tuesday, 17 April 2012 In the next few weeks we will be emailing a survey invitation to people who have had recent contact with the Immigration Contact Centre. The survey asks respondents questions about their experience.
Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) amendments Tuesday, 10 April 2012 The Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) has been updated to clarify the qualification, work experience or registration requirements for the following occupations:
Updates to the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment and the list of Qualifications Recognised as an Exception Thursday, 5 April 2012 On 14 May 2012, the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment (Appendix 3) and the list of Qualifications Recognised as an Exception (Appendix 8) will be updated in the INZ Operational Manual.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 4 April 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 4 April 2012.
China Special Work Category: Chinese chefs Tuesday, 3 April 2012 The quota is currently filled. More places will become available on 8 October 2012.
Immigration health screening changes Monday, 2 April 2012 The Minister of Immigration announced on 2 April 2012 that changes are being made to immigration health screening in late July 2012. The details of the changes are still being developed and more information will be made available closer to the implementation of these changes.
Changes to receiving offices Thursday, 29 March 2012 From 16 April 2012 the receiving offices for residents of Hubei (China), Hunan (China), Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines are changing.
Change to time period for submitting supporting documentation for China Working Holiday Scheme applications Friday, 23 March 2012 On 26 March 2012, the timeframe for supplying further documentation in support of an individual's online application will change from 60 days to 30 days.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 21 March 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 21 March 2012.
Refugee Family Support Category Monday, 19 March 2012 Between Tuesday 17 April 2012 and Thursday 19 April 2012 tier two of the Refugee Family Support Category (RFSC) will open for the first time. The RFSC allows refugees to sponsor family members for New Zealand residence and has a quota of 300 residence approvals each year.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Thursday, 8 March 2012 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on Wednesday, 7 March 2012.
Partnership agreement with Education New Zealand under development Friday, 2 March 2012 Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has been working with Education New Zealand to develop a partnership agreement, to strengthen the framework of the New Zealand Specialist Agents (NZSA) programme.
Changes to work visa applications for entertainment industry personnel Monday, 20 February 2012 Changes in visa requirements for temporary workers in the music, screen and entertainment industry take effect on 30 April 2012. The changes apply to entertainers, performing artists and associated support personnel, film and video production and post-production crew, producers and directors.
NZ Inc China Strategy launched today Friday, 3 February 2012 The NZ Inc China Strategy was launched today. It's the second in a series of strategies to deliver improved strategic planning, coordination and efficiency among NZ Inc agencies, which include the Department of Labour and Immigration New Zealand.
Visa fees for Indian nationals Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Interim visa approval letters delays Friday, 23 December 2011 Over the holiday period, there may be some delays in interim visa approval letters being sent to some people. However, any delays will only affect the sending of letters, not the actual grant of interim visas.
China Special Work Category: Chinese chefs Thursday, 22 December 2011 All 200 places for Chinese chefs were filled between October 2008 and September 2011. Further places will be released in batches, to manage demand.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 14 December 2011 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 14 December 2011.
Immigration Contact Centre seasonal opening hours Wednesday, 14 December 2011 The Immigration Contact Centre will be open reduced hours during the holiday season.
New IT system for Immigration New Zealand Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Auckland Pacific Branch closure Tuesday, 13 December 2011 The Auckland Pacific Branch is closing on 15 December.
Which versions of INZ application forms are accepted? Tuesday, 13 December 2011 We regularly change our application forms to reflect changes in policy. However, we usually continue to accept the previous versions of forms for a period of time, so that customers who apply using them are not disadvantaged.
Essential Skills in Demand Lists Review Monday, 28 November 2011 The Department of Labour has recently reviewed the Essential Skills in Demand Lists – including the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) and the Immediate Skills Shortage List (ISSL). The Canterbury Skill Shortage List (CSSL) will also be updated. Changes will be made to all three lists on 5 December 2011.
Changes to health requirements for some visa applicants, partners and dependent children Friday, 18 November 2011 Changes have been made to some of the health requirements for both partners and dependent children of residents, and for pregnant temporary entrants to New Zealand.
Skilled Migrant Category – additional selection criteria maintained Friday, 4 November 2011 The additional criteria for selecting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from the Skilled Migrant Category Pool (the Pool) until 31 July 2012 have been set. The criteria will remain the same as in the previous six-month period.
New collection agent for visa applications Thursday, 29 September 2011 VFS Global Services (VFS) has been appointed by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) as a collection agent for visa applications with effect from 12 August in Shanghai and from 17 October 2011 for Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
Immigration policy for musicians, actors, entertainers and associated workers Thursday, 22 September 2011 The Minister of Immigration announced today that new immigration instructions and processes under WS2 Specific purpose or events for entertainers, performing artists, film and video production crew, and associated support personnel will be coming into effect in March 2012.
Student visa processing update Friday, 9 September 2011 At the recent 2011 New Zealand International Education Conference, Head of Immigration Nigel Bickle outlined the broad strategic direction for Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 7 September 2011 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on Wednesday, 7 September 2011.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 24 August 2011 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on Wednesday, 24 August 2011.
Immigration changes affecting students - update Tuesday, 28 June 2011 On 1 June 2011, the Minister of Immigration announced a package of policy changes for international students.
Immigration policy changes affecting students Wednesday, 1 June 2011 The Minister of Immigration, Hon Jonathan Coleman, has announced changes to student immigration policies.
June 2011 Annual INZ Customer Satisfaction Survey Wednesday, 25 May 2011 We will be emailing a survey invitation to a number of recent visa applicants. The June 2011 Annual INZ Customer Satisfaction Survey asks visa applicants questions about their application experience.
Fault with Online Services Tuesday, 17 May 2011 Many users are unable to access their applications using the Skilled Migrant Category and Working Holiday Schemes online systems as usual. The 'What's happening' page is not available to many users. We are working to fix this error as soon as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience.
June 2011 Quarterly INZ Customer Satisfaction Survey Monday, 9 May 2011 We will be emailing a survey invitation to a number of recent visa applicants. The June 2011 Quarterly INZ Customer Satisfaction Survey asks visa applicants questions about their application experience.
Silver Fern Job Search Quota re-opens 10.00am on 27 April Thursday, 21 April 2011 The annual Silver Fern Job Search Quota opens will be opening on Wednesday 27 April at 10.00am, and demand for places is likely to be high.
Registrations are open for Pacific Quota Monday, 4 April 2011 Registration for this year’s Pacific Quota ballot opens today and closes at the end of the month. Between now and then citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Kiribati can submit their registration applications for New Zealand residence under the 2011 Samoa Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) ballots.
INZ staff visiting welfare centres Monday, 7 March 2011 INZ staff will be attending the welfare centre at Pioneer Stadium in Christchurch to answer immigration queries on Tuesday 8 March and Wednesday 9 March, from 10am-2pm on each day.
Passports at Immigration New Zealand’s Christchurch branch Thursday, 3 March 2011 Most foreign passports held in Immigration New Zealand’s Christchurch Branch have now been recovered from the branch’s Crystal Plaza office, which is located in central Christchurch, a heavily damaged area still cordoned off from the public. A number of passports are still in the office, and cannot be retrieved at this time.
Students - frequently asked questions in connection with the Christchurch earthquake Monday, 28 February 2011
Further interim visas for foreign nationals affected by the earthquake Friday, 25 February 2011 The Minister of Immigration, Jonathan Coleman, has announced that interim visas will be granted to everyone who has a residence application lodged with the INZ Christchurch branch, who is in New Zealand and whose current visa will expire on or before 31 May 2011.
Immigration help for families travelling to NZ following Christchurch earthquake Friday, 25 February 2011 If you have family members missing as a result of Tuesday's earthquake in Christchurch, Immigration New Zealand would like to make it as easy and quick as possible for you to get here.
Advice for lodgement of applications by customers who would usually apply to Christchurch Branch Friday, 25 February 2011 Customers who would normally apply to Christchurch Branch should now apply to Northern Documentation Branch.
Settlement Support New Zealand - Earthquake response for new migrants Thursday, 24 February 2011 NOTE: Settlement Support does not handle visa inquiries. For all visa and Immigration inquiries, please call the Immigration Contact Centre on 0508 558 855. In stressful situations like Christchurch's tragic earthquake, new migrants can find it really hard - they may not have the friends or family support that most of us automatically turn to.
Interim visas for foreign nationals affected by earthquake Thursday, 24 February 2011 Following Tuesday's earthquake the Minister of Immigration, Jonathan Coleman, has announced that interim visas will be issued to any foreign national whose work, visitor or student visa application is lodged at Immigration New Zealand's Christchurch office.
Christchurch branch closed until further notice Tuesday, 22 February 2011 Immigration New Zealand's (INZ's) visa processing centre in Crystal Plaza in Cathedral Square is closed until further notice following Tuesday's earthquake.
New 'interim visa' system Friday, 10 December 2010 A new ‘interim visa’ system comes into effect on 7 February 2011 to help overseas students, workers and visitors who wish to extend their stay in New Zealand.
Work visa holders undertaking a course of study or formal training Tuesday, 30 November 2010 Work visa holders who wish to undertake a course of study or formal training may need to apply for a variation of conditions.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 17 November 2010 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 17 November 2010.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 6 October 2010 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 6 October 2010.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 22 September 2010 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 22 September 2010.
Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) Review Wednesday, 1 September 2010
New Zealand Residence Programme: Investor (Investor 2 Category) selection Wednesday, 1 September 2010 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Migrant Investment Policy, Investor (Investor 2 Category), took place on Wednesday, 1 September 2010.
VisaView launched 2 August Monday, 2 August 2010 An online system has been introduced by the Department of Labour to help employers check if job applicants are entitled to work in New Zealand.
Pacific Immigration Quota results are out Monday, 2 August 2010 The results of the Immigration New Zealand 2010 Samoa Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) Ballots are out.
Changes to policy effective 26 July 2010 Friday, 16 July 2010 There will be changes to Immigration New Zealand's Operational Policy effective 26 July 2010.
New Zealand Residence Programme 2010-2011 Thursday, 1 July 2010
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 30 June 2010 Due to technical problems with the Expression of Interest online system, today’s selection has been postponed until 1.00 pm on Thursday, 1 July 2010.
June 2010 Annual Global Visa and Permit Survey Tuesday, 18 May 2010 We will be emailing a survey invitation to a number of recent visa and permit applicants. The June 2010 Annual Global Visa and Permit Survey asks visa and permit applicants questions about their application experience.
Fees changes for applications lodged outside New Zealand Monday, 10 May 2010 The fees that Immigration New Zealand charges for immigration services will change on 31 May 2010. The changes will only affect payments made outside New Zealand, not payments made in New Zealand dollars.
Registrations for Pacific Quota open Saturday, 1 May 2010 Registrations for the 2010 Samoa Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) ballot are now open. From Saturday 1 May until Monday 31 May 2010, eligible citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu can register their interest in becoming a resident of New Zealand under the SQ and PAC ballot.
Changes to policy taking effect 29 March 2010 Monday, 29 March 2010 A number of changes to Immigration New Zealand's operational policy take effect on 29 March 2010.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Skilled Migrant Category fortnightly selection Wednesday, 24 February 2010 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Skilled Migrant Category took place on 24 February 2010.
New Zealand Residence Programme: Investor (Investor 2 Category) selection Wednesday, 3 February 2010 A selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Migrant Investment Policy, Investor (Investor 2 Category), took place on Wednesday, 3 February 2010.
