You must complete a Samoan Quota Scheme Registration form online and include:
- a copy of your birth certificate
- copies of birth certificates for your partner and dependent children.
Samoan Quota Resident Visa
If you are a Samoan citizen, you can register for this ballot to come to New Zealand. If your registration is drawn from the ballot we may invite you to apply for residence.
Length of stay
Indefinitely
Age range
18 – 45
Quota
Each year
See below
Cost
From
NZD $820
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
- There are 1100 places each year and a further 550 extra places each year until 2026.
- 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.
Provide your country to make the experience more relevant to you.
What you need to apply
Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.
View All Evidence
We’ll use the birth certificate you send with your ballot registration to confirm your age.
If invited to apply for residence, you must apply within 8 months of being invited to apply.
Tip
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.
- 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you use a paper application form.
- your passport or certificate of identity.
If you apply online, you must upload a copy of your passport when you apply. We will let you know if you need to send your passport after you have applied.
Providing your passport for online applications
If you submit a paper application, provide your original passport or a certified copy. We can usually process your application faster if you provide your original passport.
Tips
You don’t need to provide proof of your identity until you’re invited to apply for residence.
If you are 17 or older, you must provide a police certificate from:
- Samoa
- any other country where you have spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years.
Tips
Police certificates must be less than 6 months old at the time you apply.
You don’t need to provide any Police Certificates until you’re invited to apply for residence.
You must have a chest x-ray and a medical examination as proof of your good health.
Tips
You don’t need to have an x-ray or medical examination until you’re invited to apply for residence.
If you’re invited to apply for residence, you’ll need to provide a valid passport from your country of citizenship.
If you were born in Samoa, you must provide your birth certificate.
If you were born outside of Samoa, you must provide the following documents for your parent:
- their birth certificate
- their passport or certificate of identity showing they share your country of citizenship.
Tips
You don’t need to provide any evidence until you’re invited to apply for residence.
Any documents that prove where you’re living. Examples include:
- letters sent to your home address
- references from your employer.
If invited to apply for residence, we’ll test your English by talking to you about yourself, your family and your background.
Tips
You will need to be able to read and answer questions in English to pass the test.
If you’re invited to apply for residence, you must provide evidence of a current offer of full-time work that is for 12 months or more.
Evidence must include certified copies of your:
- job offer
- job description
- employment agreement
- registration, if it’s work you need to be registered to do.
We can’t grant a visa if your employer is included on the list of non-compliant employers maintained by the Labour Inspectorate.
Tips
The job offer can be for you or for your partner.
If invited to apply for residence, you must provide evidence:
- of your relationship with your partner and dependent children
- that your partner and dependent children meet the health, character and identity requirements for this visa.
If you are invited to apply for residence, you need to provide evidence, such as employment agreements, that you and your partner will earn NZD$53,515.28 or more between you each year.
We review minimum incomes each year.
Process and costs
The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for this visa, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.
Notes
We cannot display any process or costs information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.
Enter country detailsHow to submit
Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.
Notes
We cannot display any receiving centre or payment method information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.
Enter country detailsConditions
These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.
Entry permission
You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing a New Zealand traveller declaration (NZTD).
New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.
Notes
You can be refused entry permission if:
- you do not meet our character requirements
- your circumstances have changed since you were issued a visa
- you refuse to let us to take your photo, or provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan, if we ask you for them.
Arriving in New Zealand
When we grant your visa, you’ll have 3 months to come to New Zealand.
Your partner and dependent children will have 12 months to come to New Zealand.
If you and your family are unable to come to New Zealand by these times, your visa will expire and you’ll have to apply for a new visa.
Notes
Your family must have been included in your resident visa application for them to come to New Zealand.
Keep your visa in a valid passport
If you want to travel, your visa must be in a valid passport.
If your passport expires, you must apply to transfer your visa to a new passport before you can travel.
Notes
To transfer your visa, you must:
- send us your old and new passports
- complete an ‘Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa’
- pay a transfer fee.
Application for transfer or confirmation of a visa
Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa (INZ 1023) PDF 375KB
Travel
You can travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you like until your travel conditions expire — normally 2 years from the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident.
Alert
If you are outside New Zealand when your travel conditions expire, your visa will expire as well.
To travel in and out of New Zealand after your travel conditions expire, you need to apply for:
- a variation to your travel conditions, or
- a Permanent Resident Visa.
Notes
Your travel conditions will expire 2 years from the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident.
If you are outside of New Zealand when your travel conditions expire, your visa will expire as well.