2016-Feb 26: Reminder on further visitor visas for people who are unable to return home due to circumstances in their home country

Visa Pak 248: A reminder to staff for clients who cannot return to their home country due to circumstances beyond their control, such as natural disasters, contagious diseases, or civil war.

Visa Paks

26 February 2016

Reminder on further visitor visas for people who are unable to return home due to circumstances in their home country

In light of the recent cyclone affecting the Pacific, please remind your staff of previous advice given regarding requests for further visas from people who ordinarily reside in a country that has suffered a disaster.

Advice has previously been provided in relation to specific natural disasters including the 2010 earthquake in Chile, the Tsunami that affected Samoa and Tonga, and Tornadoes in the Philippines.
This item confirms that the best practice advice is not restricted to natural disasters.

Background
When people are currently in New Zealand, and circumstances in their region of their home country have changed to the extent that they may not be able to return immediately (for example natural disaster, an outbreak of contagious disease, civil war), please consider this when determining an application made to enable them to remain in New Zealand.

Best Practice
Follow the instructions below:

  • consider all such requests on a case by case basis
  • view sympathetically requests for a longer stay where the person is from an affected area
  • use the discretion available in temporary instructions where you judge this is appropriate
  • ensure AMS notes show in sufficient detail why a further visa was granted (e.g. rather than "further visa for humanitarian reasons" state "further visa issued because the customer is from the area affected by the recent earthquake in the Philippines and has requested a longer stay with family in New Zealand until it is safe to return home").

In short – where we have customers in distress because of events in their home country, please use your common sense and empathy when dealing with any further applications from them.

Action
Please ensure all onshore staff are aware that additional visas issued as exceptions to instructions, or using discretion, are not restricted to situations where a natural disaster has occurred.