Information about Pacific Access Category Resident Visa
If you are from Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga or Fiji you can register for a ballot. If your registration is drawn from the ballot we may invite you to apply for residence.
Overview
Indefinitely |
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18 – 45 years |
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With this visa you can
- Live, work and study in New Zealand.
- Include your partner, and dependent children aged 24 and under, in your residence application — if you first included them in your ballot registration.
Things to note
- You or your partner must have a job offer that pays enough to support you and your family in New Zealand.
- You must be able to read, write and speak English.
- The visa quotas have been increased for the 2022 and 2023 ballots. They are now up from 75 to 150 Kiribati citizens, 75 to 150 Tuvaluan citizens, 250 to 500 Tongan citizens and from 250 to 500 Fijian citizens.
The application process
1 You register for the ballot
Register your Pacific Access Category ballot using the online form If you are in Tonga or Fiji.
If you are in Tuvalu or Kiribati register your ballot online or on a paper Pacific Access Category Registration Form (INZ 1375).
You must include your partner and children in your registration.
2 We run the ballot
If your registration is drawn from the ballot, we may invite you to apply for residence.
3 You send us your residence application
If invited to apply, you’ll have 8 months to find employment in New Zealand and send us your residence application.
4 We make a decision about your application
If there’s anything else you need to do, we’ll be in touch.
Check that you meet the detailed criteria.