Monday, March 28, 2011

1. How do I qualify for residence under the 2011 Pacific Access Category (PAC)?

To qualify for residence under the 2011 PAC, the principal applicant* (see below) must: 

• be a citizen of one of the 2011 PAC countries (Kiribati, Tonga or Tuvalu) 
• have been born in their PAC country, or born overseas to a PAC country citizen who was born in their PAC country
• have been aged 18 to 45 at the 2011 PAC registration period closing date 
• have had their registration number drawn from the 2011 PAC ballot pool for their country, and been invited by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to apply for New Zealand residence under their country’s PAC quota.

*The principal applicant is the person who must meet all of the 2011 PAC residence requirements.

 

Principal applicants invited to apply for residence under the 2011 PAC must:

• lodge their application for residence within six months of the advice from INZ that they were selected in the ballot; and
• be either in their PAC country (or in Fiji in the case of citizens of Tuvalu or Kiribati), or lawfully in New Zealand, when their application for residence is made to an INZ Branch; and 
• have an acceptable offer of employment (see question 4), and/or have a partner included in their application who has an acceptable offer of employment; and 
• (if they have dependent children) meet the minimum income requirement (see question 5); and 
• meet a minimum English language requirement (see question 6); and 
• meet the health and character requirements for New Zealand residence applicants.

Partners and dependent children of principal applicants included in their residence application must also meet the health and character requirements for New Zealand residence applicants.

 

Note: Because of the New Zealand Government’s sanctions imposed following the 6 December 2006 Military coup, citizens of Fiji are not eligible to participate in the 2011 Pacific Access Category ballots.

2. How will I know if I was successful in the ballot?

We will contact you if you are successful, after we have checked that you are eligible to apply for residence under the 2011 PAC.  We will also publish the list of successful registrations at our Auckland Pacific, Nuku’alofa and Suva branches, and at the New Zealand High Commission in Tarawa, so people can check if they were successful.  The Tuvalu High Commission in Suva and the Tuvalu Department of Labour will also be advised of the successful PAC applicants. 

 

If we do not contact you, this means your registration was not drawn in this year’s ballot draw or you are not eligible to be invited to apply for residence under the 2011 PAC.

3. If I was successful in the 2011 ballot, how do I apply for residence?

Your letter from INZ inviting you to apply for New Zealand residence will come with an application pack containing the residence application form and other INZ documents you need to complete for your residence application.

 

Details of all the requirements you must meet to be approved for New Zealand residence will be explained in the letter. The letter will tell you the last date by which your residence application must be received by INZ.  We recommend that you obtain a job offer and other required documents and make your application as soon as possible, rather than wait until the last day.

 

Note: You will need to meet all costs yourself. These include the residence application fee, any costs of medical examinations, police certificates and any other required documents, and your travel costs.

4. What is an ‘acceptable offer of employment’?

Offers of employment must be for ‘ongoing and sustainable employment’ with a single New Zealand employer.

 

Ongoing means your employment offer must be for:

• work in a job which is clearly stated to be ‘permanent’, or ‘indefinite’; or 
• work for a stated time of at least twelve months, with an option for you of further employment after that time.

Sustainable means INZ must be satisfied that the employer can afford to pay you the stated salary or wages.

 

To be acceptable, offers of employment must also:

1. be for full-time employment (that is, on average, for 30 hours per week or more); and
2. be current (the job is still available for you) at the time INZ assesses your application, and at the time your resident visa is granted; and 
3. be genuine; and 
4. be for a position that is paid by salary or wages (not by commission, by self employed income, or retainer); and 
5. be accompanied by evidence of professional or technical registration in New Zealand if this is required by New Zealand law before you can work in the job you have been offered; and 
6. meet the requirements of all relevant employment law in force in New Zealand.

The offer of employment submitted with your residence application must be in the form of original or certified copies of: 

• a written offer of employment; and 
• a detailed job description; and 
• an employment agreement entered into by the employer and the principal applicant (or their partner), stating: 
  • the terms of employment; and 
  • the hours of work; and 
  • the period during which employment may begin (how long the job offer is valid for).

Note: INZ officers check to ensure that offers of employment are genuine and that the job is sustainable. If you or your employer submit information or documents to INZ that you know to be false your residence application may be declined.

 

5. What is the Minimum Income Requirement?

If you have dependent children, you must show that you can meet the minimum income requirement of NZ$31,202.08, which is set by the New Zealand Government to help ensure you can support your family once you arrive in New Zealand. Whether you meet the minimum income requirement is decided by how much you will earn from your employment in New Zealand in a year.

 

If you and your partner both have job offers, both your wages or salaries can count toward meeting the income requirement. Both job offers must meet all the requirements listed for question 4 above, except that only one job has to be full time.

 

Note: For applicants with no dependent children, your wage or salary must be no less than the amount of the legal minimum wage in New Zealand at the time you apply for residence.  As of 1 April 2011 the New Zealand minimum wage for employees aged 16 and over is NZ$13.00 an hour before tax. 

 

6. How will my English language ability be assessed?

Immigration officers will decide whether you, the principal applicant, meet the minimum English language requirement by assessing how well you can:

• read English; and 
• understand and respond to questions in English; and 
• maintain an English language conversation about yourself, your family, or your background.

7. Who can I include in my residence application?

You can only include the family members you included in your registration form.  If you are successful in the ballot, any existing partner or dependent children not included in your registration form will not be able to be included in your residence application.  Any existing partner or dependent children not listed in your registration form will also not be able to be approved if they apply for residence at a later date under the Partnership Category or Dependent Child Category.

8. Where do I apply for residence under the PAC?

If you are registering under the Tonga PAC pool, you must be in Tonga, or lawfully in New Zealand, when your application for residence is made. If you are in Tonga, you should lodge your residence application at our INZ branch in Nuku’alofa at the address below. 

 

If you are a citizen of Kiribati, you must be in Kiribati or Fiji, or lawfully in New Zealand, when your application for residence is made. If you are in Kiribati or Fiji, you should lodge your residence application at our INZ branch in Suva at the address below.

 

If you are a citizen of Tuvalu, you must be in Tuvalu or Fiji, or lawfully in New Zealand, when your application for residence is made. If you are in Tuvalu or Fiji, you should lodge your residence application at our INZ branch in Suva at the address below.

 

If you are in New Zealand (and you are a citizen of any of the PAC countries) you should lodge your application at our Auckland Pacific Branch at one of the addresses provided below.

Immigration New Zealand Suva Branch

Immigration New Zealand,
Suva Branch, Level 8, Reserve Bank of Fiji Building, Pratt St (PO Box 15183) Suva, FIJI
Phone: +679 330 6033
Fax: +679 330 3792
Email: nzissuva@dol.govt.nz.

Immigration New Zealand Nuku’alofa Branch

Immigration New Zealand, Nuku’alofa Branch, Ground Floor, Royco Building, Fatafehi Road (PO Box 830), Nuku’alofa,
TONGA

Phone: +676 23 977
Fax: +676 23 011

NZ or elsewhere

Department of Labour
Auckland Pacific Branch
PO Box 76835
Manukau City
Auckland 2241

 

Or, place your residence application in the drop-box at the Department of Labour’s Auckland Pacific Branch office:

 

Auckland Pacific Branch
Level 3, Westfield Towers (Leyton Way)
Westfield Shopping Centre
Manukau City.