To qualify for residence in New Zealand under the Pacific Access Category (PAC) you must meet a number of requirements. Do a quick check to see if you meet the criteria.

The principal applicant must:

• be a citizen of one of the PAC countries (Kiribati, Tuvalu or Tonga); and
• have been born in their PAC country, or born overseas to a PAC country citizen who was born in their PAC country; and
• have been aged 18 to 45 at the PAC registration period closing date; and
• have had their registration number drawn from the 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.

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

• lodge their application for residence within eight 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 office; and
• have an acceptable offer of employment 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; and
• meet a minimum English language requirement; 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.

How do I apply for residence under the Pacific Access Category?

You can only apply for residence under this category if your registration was
drawn from the ballot and you have been invited to apply for residence.  To help you make sure you have everything you need to apply, please print out our checklist.

 

Follow these steps if you wish to apply for a residence class visa under the Pacific Access Category.

Step one

Complete the Residence Application form (INZ 1000) PDF available from Immigration New Zealand branches in New Zealand and overseas.

Step two

Along with your completed (and signed) application form you will need to provide:

• your registration reference number; and
• evidence of your offer of employment; and
• evidence that you and your partner (if included in your application) meet our partnership requirements; and
• the application fee.

For each person included in your application you will also need to provide:

• two recent passport-size photographs; and 
• a valid passport or certificate of identity; and 
• a completed General Medical Certificate (INZ 1007) PDF and Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096) PDF. (Note: Pregnant women and children under the age of 11 years are not required to submit chest X-ray certificates unless a special report is required). If you have already provided these certificates within the last 36 months you may not need to provide new certificates. For full details on health requirements, see our leaflet Health Requirements (INZ 1121), PDF; and 
• a police certificate less than six months old for each applicant aged 17 and over. If you are unable to obtain a police certificate you must provide a statutory declaration; and
• a full birth certificate.

Step three

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, Fiji or New Zealand, you should lodge your residence application at our INZ branch office 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, Fiji or New Zealand, you should lodge your residence application at our INZ branch office in Suva at the address below.

 

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

 

Immigration New Zealand Branch Offices

Fiji
Immigration New Zealand
Suva Branch
Level 8
Reserve Bank of Fiji Building
Pratt St (PO Box 15183)
Suva
FIJI

 

Tonga
Immigration New Zealand
Nuku'alofa branch
Ground floor
Royco Building
Fatafehi Road
PO Box 830
Nuku'alofa
TONGA

 

Have a look at the Applying for Residence under the 2012 Pacific Access Category questions and answers.