2012-Dec 14: Religious Worker instructions

Visa Pak 95 - Guidelines on how Religious Worker visas are to be processed by Immigration Officers

Visa Paks

14 December 2012
  
Religious Worker instructions 
  
Since November 2011, Religious Workers must apply for temporary entry visas under the Religious Worker instructions at WM. Ops support has been advised that some branches are assessing applications for religious workers under essentials skills or specific purpose instructions and providing exceptions to these instructions (ETIs) if the religious worker is not eligible for a work visa under Religious worker instructions (WM3).

Instructions at WM5 Conditions and currency of Religious Worker visas limit the length of time a religious worker may be granted a work visa. It is therefore not appropriate to consider an application for a further work visa as a religious worker under Essential Skills as an ETI to overcome this limitation.

Religious Worker Instructions have a specific objective [WM1 - see below] and detail the specific criteria persons applying for work visas to work as Religious workers must meet.

WM1 Objective

The objective of Religious Worker instructions is to:

a. provide New Zealand communities with the opportunity to practise, maintain and advance their religious beliefs; and

b. maintain the integrity of the immigration system through clear guidelines for applicants to enter New Zealand and undertake genuine religious work.

If you receive an application for someone who is clearly a religious worker, for which specific immigration instructions exist, they must be assessed under these instructions and not under essential skills or specific purpose or any other instructions as to do so would essentially undermine the objectives of Religious Worker Instructions in particular WM1 b.

Please read and action appropriately.