2016-Mar 18: 2016 Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category

Visa Pak 251: Information regarding the 2016 Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category.

Visa Paks

18 March 2016

2016 Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category Details

The Samoan Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) will be open for registrations between 1 April and 29 April 2016 (registrations cannot be accepted outside this period). Set numbers of residence places are available each year under the SQ and PAC schemes – 1,100 places are available to Samoan citizens, 250 to Tongan and Fiji citizens, 75 to Kiribati and Tuvaluan citizens.

The separate registration and application processes for the schemes are detailed below.

Registration process

Registrations will be processed at the following locations:

  • Palmerston North Area Office – for all SQ registrations submitted (both onshore and offshore), and PAC registrations submitted onshore.
  • Nuku’alofa Office – for PAC Tonga registrations submitted offshore.
  • Suva Office – for PAC Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji registrations submitted offshore.

Please note that the PAC registration form (INZ 1092) and the SQ registration form (INZ 1086) are the only acceptable forms.

Clients registering for the ballots will be sent a text message or email confirming their ballot number. These emails and text messages will be sent out before the ballots are drawn. The ballot draw for SQ and PAC will take place on Friday 10 June 2016. The SQ and PAC ballots will be drawn in the INZ Suva office. People successful in the ballots will be sent an Invitation to Apply letter and an Application Pack by 8 July 2016.

Dates for registrants to remember

The relevant dates for the 2016 SQ and PAC scheme are listed below.
1 April 2016 – Registration opens
29 April 2016 – Registration closes
3 June 2016 – All valid registrations processed and accepted in AMS
10 June 2016 – Ballots drawn
15 June 2016 – Verification check of successfully selected registrants are completed
17 June 2015 – An official list of successfully drawn registration numbers is available publically
8 July 2016 – All letters sent to successful/eligible registrants only
10 March 2017 – Successful registrants must lodge their formal residence applications by this date

Publication of Registration Numbers

Successful SQ and PAC registration numbers will be displayed in the following locations:

  • Immigration New Zealand website
  • TTS Suva website
  • Immigration New Zealand offices in Tonga and Samoa
  • the Tuvalu High Commission in Suva, and the Tuvalu Department of Labour
  • the New Zealand High Commission in Kiribati and at the Kiribati Department of Labour
  • selected Pacific newspapers, banks and post offices.

Residence Visa Application process

All residence visa applications must be received by Immigration New Zealand on or before 4.00pm on 10 March 2017.

Samoa citizens should send their applications to Immigration New Zealand’s Apia Office:
Immigration New Zealand
New Zealand High Commission
Beach Road
P O Box 2277
Apia
SAMOA
Phone: 685 21 715 or 685 21 716
Fax: 685 21 71

Tonga citizens should send their applications to Immigration New Zealand’s Nuku’alofa Office:
Immigration New Zealand
Ground Floor, Royco Building
Fatafehi Road
P O Box 830
Nuku'alofa
TONGA
Phone: 676 23 977
Fax: 676 23 011

Kiribati citizens living in Kiribati should send their residence applications to TTservices Visa Application Centre in Tarawa. Kiribati citizens living in Fiji should send their residence applications to TTservices Visa Application Centres in either Suva or Lautoka:
TTservices Suva Visa Application Centre
Level 1, Midcity
Renwick Road
Suva
FIJI
Phone: 679 330 0080
Email: ttssuvanz@ttepl.com
Website: www.ttsnzvisa.com OR;

TTservices Lautoka Visa Application Centre
Suite 2, Jay Lai & Co Complex
21 Tui Street
Marine Drive
Lautoka
FIJI
Email: ttssuvanz@ttepl.com
Website: www.ttsnzvisa.com

Tuvalu citizens should send their applications to Tuvalu Department of Labour if they are currently residing in Tuvalu or to the Tuvaluan High Commission if they reside in Fiji:
Tuvalu Department of Labour
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism
Government of Tuvalu
Vaiaku
Funafuti
TUVALU
Phone: 688 20102 OR;

Tuvalu High Commission
16 Gorrie Street
PO Box 14449
Suva
FIJI
Phone: 679 330 1355

Action
Please ensure that all staff involved in processing registrations and applications under the SQ and PAC schemes are aware of these details.