Questions 1-2 are general questions about the Refugee Family Support Category (RFSC).
Questions 3-11 cover tier one sponsorship requirements and information for tier one sponsors.
Questions 12-15 cover tier two sponsorship requirements, for sponsors who think they do not meet tier one requirements.
Questions 16 onwards apply to all sponsors.
The RFSC allows New Zealanders who were granted residence as refugees or protected persons to sponsor a family member and that person’s partner and dependent children for New Zealand residence. Each year there are 300 places available.
Note: The RFSC replaces the previous Refugee Family Quota ballot system.
The RFSC has a two-tier registration system with priority given to tier one sponsors who meet a high threshold of need.
To be a tier one sponsor under the RFSC, you must:
If you are a tier one sponsor you may register to sponsor your:
…and that person’s partner and/or dependent children.
That family member must not be eligible for residence under any other category of residence instructions (for example, Skilled Migrant Category).
No, this is not a requirement for tier one sponsors.
You are considered to be a sole carer of a dependent relative or relatives in New Zealand if you have the primary responsibility for the day to day care of a dependent relative or relatives in New Zealand, on an ongoing basis.
Examples of the types of evidence that you may provide to show that you are a sole carer:
Note: If you have immediate family in New Zealand (partner, parent, or adult children), you will also need to provide an explanation of why these family members are unable to assist you in the care of your dependent relative/s.
Approved registrations will be queued in order of receipt and entered into an electronic database.
Registrations received from eligible tier one sponsors on the same day will be entered into the queue in the fairest manner possible. This will involve them being entered into the queue in the order they are received by the processing officer/s.
There will be an annual limit of 300 applicants in total for the RFSC (about 70-80 sponsors).
Once we have provisionally entered your registration into the queue you will receive a letter notifying you of your registration number. We will verify the information you have provided in your registration, and if the details that you have provided in your registration form are true and correct, your registration will remain in the tier one queue. If we consider that you are not eligible to be a tier one sponsor, we will contact you.
We will select confirmed registrations from the tier one queue until the annual available number of places is met. If your registration is confirmed, and you are selected from the queue we will write to you and include information on how your family members can make an application for residence.
No, your place is guaranteed; you must, however, advise us if any change to your circumstances occurs which may affect your ability to meet tier one sponsorship requirements.
Note: Should you decide to change your nominee(s) after your registration has been entered into the tier one queue, you will need to submit another registration form together with the fees. We will write to you about your first registration (see question 20 below).Your second registration will be entered into the queue according to the date that it is received by the processing officer/s.
You may be eligible for the tier two category. If there were fewer registrations in the queue than available places for a given year, a second tier will operate for those with a lower threshold of need (tier two sponsors) see questions 12 to 15 for more detail.
No. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is not currently accepting tier two registrations because we have received sufficient registrations to fill available places for the foreseeable future.
Your registration will not be accepted and it will be returned to you without being processed
Tier two is not open because the places available under the RFSC can be filled by tier one registrations being received and tier two registrations that INZ has received previously. Each year, INZ has a set quota of 300 places available under the RFSC, from both tiers one and two. Tier one registrations are given priority and are processed before tier two registrations. INZ currently has a queue of tier two registrations. Tier two will only open when the places available under RFSC cannot be filled by people included in tier one registrations and the registrations in the tier two queue.
The number of registrations that are processed in tier two each year will vary.
To register as a tier two sponsor under the RFSC, you must:
An acceptable sponsor is someone who:
If you are a tier two sponsor you may register to sponsor your:
Tier two opened for a set period from 17 April 2012 to 19 April 2012 and it is currently closed.
Registrations in the current tier two queue will be selected in chronological order from the date the registration was entered into the queue, until the appropriate number of potential applicants for the annual quota have been selected.
Sponsors whose registrations have been selected from the tier two queue and appear to meet tier two sponsorship requirements, will be notified by INZ that their registration has been successful. Sponsors will then need to advise those they are sponsoring to lodge a full application under RFSC at the appropriate INZ receiving office or visa application centre.
If the places available annually under RFSC are not filled by people included tier one registrations and the registrations in the tier two queue cannot fill the remaining quota of places, INZ will call for tier two registrations for a set period.
Based on the number of registrations currently in the tier two queue, it is estimated that it will be approximately four years before tier two can be opened.
Registrations must be made on the official registration form Refugee Family Support Category Tier One Sponsor Registration Form (INZ 1094). This form is available on our forms and guides pages, or from onshore branches of INZ.
Registrations from tier two sponsors can only be submitted during the set opening period for tier two. Tier two registrations must be made on the Refugee Family Support Category Tier Two Sponsor Registration Form (INZ 1192). The form is available on our forms and guides pages, or from onshore branches of INZ.
Registrations should be sent to:
Immigration New ZealandRefugee Family Support CategoryPO Box 22315OtahuhuAuckland 1640New Zealand
Remember to include the correct fee (see question 26) and any other requested information. All registrations must be sent by mail to the address above.
Yes. You can only sponsor one family member and their partner and dependent children. For example, if you have a brother and sister, you can only sponsor one of them, together with their partner and children. You cannot sponsor both your brother and sister.
You must include the partner and dependent children of the person you wish to sponsor in your registration.
Only those people included in your initial registration may subsequently be included in a residence application under the RFSC.
Note: Any existing partner or dependent children not included in your registration form will not be able to be included in the subsequent residence application. Any existing partner or dependent child not included in your registration form will also not be able to be approved if they apply for residence later under the Partnership or Dependent Child instructions of the Family Category.However, any child of a principal applicant for residence who is born or adopted after the registration was submitted may be included in the principal applicant’s residence application. The same applies to a new partner if, for example, the partner meets our Family Partnership category requirements after the sponsor’s registration was submitted.
Along with your signed and completed form, you must include:
All documents provided must be either certified true copies or originals. For speed of registration processing and document security, we recommend that you provide certified true copies instead of originals. If you want to submit original documents and want them returned to you by secure means, you should supply a pre-paid self-addressed courier envelope. Otherwise we will return any original documents by ordinary mail.
Only one registration from each sponsor is allowed. In addition, the people you wish to sponsor must not be included in any other registration.
If any of the people you wish to sponsor are found to be included in another registration that has already been accepted, your registration will not be accepted.
To find out how much the current registration fee is and where to send your registration, use our office and fees finder.
If your registration is selected, the people you have sponsored will need to pay a residence application fee, any costs of medical examinations, police certificates and other required documents. Should the people listed on your registration be granted residence under the RFSC, they are responsible for their own travel arrangements and all living costs in New Zealand.
You can pay by bank cheque in New Zealand dollars or by credit card (MasterCard or Visa). Our New Zealand branches do not accept cash. We do not accept money orders.
Your registration and fee will be returned to you if any of the people you have included:
Note: You must have only one registration in the tier one queue or tier two queue at any time. If you lodge more than one registration, the second and subsequent registration forms will not be accepted.
Registration fees pay for the costs that are incurred in processing a registration. The processing costs of successful and unsuccessful registrations are the same.
Your family member and their partner and dependent children may be granted residence under the RFSC if:
Yes. You are only considered to have successfully sponsored someone under the RFSC (or Refugee Family Quota) – and are, therefore, ineligible to sponsor again under this category – if the person you sponsored is consequently granted residence in New Zealand.
You can visit your local Immigration branch, or phone: