The objective of the Refugee Family Support Category is to help refugees living in New Zealand to settle by allowing them to sponsor family members for residence. We welcome 300 sponsored people (including their partners and dependent children) to settle in New Zealand each year under the Refugee Family Support Category.

The Refugee Family Support Category has replaced the previous Refugee Family Quota ballot system.

Refugee Family Support Category overview

Bringing your family to New Zealand under the Refugee Family Support Category is a three-stage process.

1. You register as a sponsor.
2. We select your registration.
3. Your family members apply for residence.

The registration system

The Refugee Family Support Category has a two-tier registration system. Priority is given to tier one sponsors who meet our tier one sponsorship requirements – these people have a more immediate need to bring their family to New Zealand.

 

The table below shows how the process works.

 

Step 1
Registrations from tier one sponsors are given first access to the 300 places available each year. They are put in a queue. Registrations are selected from the tier one queue until the 300 places are filled.
Step 2
If any of the 300 annual places are still available, we will call for registrations from tier two sponsors. Registrations are selected from the tier two queue until the 300 places are filled.
Step 3
If their sponsor’s registration is selected from the tier one or two queues and they meet eligibility requirements, family members can apply for residence under this category.

Sponsorship requirements

To find out more about sponsorship requirements:

• use our quick check to see whether you are eligible to be a sponsor under tier one or two.
• see our sponsorship requirements for the full requirements, what the process involves, and how to register.
• see our frequently asked questions about sponsor registration.

Residence requirements

To find out about the requirements that the people applying for a residence class visa must meet:

• use our quick check for an overview of the requirements.
• see the full residence requirements, and find out how to apply.
• see our frequently asked questions about residence.

Update on Refugee Family Support Category (RFSC)

Update on the tier one queue

• 75 new sponsor registrations representing 295 people were received during the first six months of the current financial year (from 1 July 2011).
• 28 sponsors (representing 84 people) were issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) between 1 July 2011 and 31 December 2011.
• As of 3 February 2012 there were 20 RFSC sponsor registrations yet to be decided.

Tier two opening

Tier two of the RFSC will be open for registrations between Tuesday 17 April 2012 and Thursday 19 April 2012. People who meet the requirements of tier two are invited to submit registrations during this time. Please note that registrations received before or submitted after this period will not be accepted (registrations that are postmark dated before the closing date and received after 17 April 2012 will be accepted for processing). 

 

To submit a registration, please complete the form Refugee Family Support Category Tier Two Sponsor Registration Form (INZ 1192) PDF [231KB], which will be available from the INZ website from 26 March 2012. Send the form, along with a NZ$75 fee, to:

 

Immigration New Zealand
Refugee Family Support Category
PO Box 22728
Otahuhu
Auckland 1640

 

Please ensure that you write a return address on the outside of the envelope.

 

For more information on the processes for RFSC tier two, please see:

• Factsheet on RFSC tier two PDF [420KB]
• Frequently asked questions on RFSC tier two PDF [440KB]

This factsheet is available in several languages:

• RSFC Factsheet Amharic PDF [413KB]
• RFSC Factsheet Arabic PDF [1.4MB]
• RFSC Factsheet Burmese PDF [2MB]
• RFSC Factsheet Farsi PDF [1.5MB]
• RFSC Factsheet French PDF [159KB]
• RFSC Factsheet Nepali PDF [1.3MB]
• RFSC Factsheet Somali PDF [115KB]
• RFSC Factsheet Spanish PDF [151KB]
• RFSC Factsheet Tamil PDF [3MB]

Update on RFSC residence applications

81 people were approved for residence during 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2011.

Living in New Zealand

For general information on New Zealand, take a look at the New Zealand Now website.