From 1 July the number of places available each year under the RFSC is doubling from 300 to 600, enabling more of our New Zealand resident refugees to be reunited with family.

Associated RSFC fees are being removed to lessen the financial burden to bringing families back together in New Zealand. This includes the sponsorship registration fee, the application fee, and the immigration levy.

Beginning 1 July, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will coordinate and pay for medical assessments and, will coordinate travel to New Zealand and pay for flights for successful applicants and their included family members. Unfortunately, already paid costs will not be reimbursed.

A range of extra support is being provided to sponsors and their families to assist with integration into their new country, and RFSC families will also have access to a Community Orientation programme, and to one of our refugee resettlement providers to help with accommodation and settlement planning guidance.

You can learn more about these changes by following the links below:

Changes to the Refugee Family Support Category diagram  PDF 687KB

Changes to the Refugee Family Support Category (text only version)