Common topic
2021 Resident Visa
Published
13 June 2024
The 2021 Resident Visa (2021 RV) is a one-off pathway launched on 1 December 2021 to provide certainty for migrant families that faced disruption because of COVID-19, and to help retain the skills New Zealand businesses need to support New Zealand’s economic recovery.
Applications for the 2021 Resident Visa opened on 1 December 2021 and closed on 31 July 2022. Those eligible had to be in New Zealand on 29 September 2021 on an eligible visa and either have lived in New Zealand for the previous 3 years, earn at or above the median wage or work in a role on a scarce list.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) received 106,349 applications for 217,586 people. Of those, 103,961 have been approved equating to 212,649 New Zealand residents.
Residence applications take time to process given the level of detailed assessment required for each application.
The time taken to decide an application varies depending on the level of complexity involved, whether sufficient information was provided with the application, and whether verification with third parties is required.