Trafficking Victim Resident Visa

Visa details

This visa is for people who have been trafficked into New Zealand. You can apply for this visa if you are in New Zealand and already have a Trafficking Victim Work, Student or Visitor Visa.

Length of stay

Indefinitely

Cost

NZD $0

Processing time
is a
high priority
With this visa you can
  • Live, work and study in New Zealand.
Things to note
  • You must hold a trafficking victim work, student or visitor visa to be granted this resident visa.
  • You do not have to pay a fee to apply for this visa.
  • You must be in New Zealand and unable to return home to be granted this visa.

Who can apply

The criteria and evidence below will provide you with the information you need to provide to meet the requirements of this visa.

View All Evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

Acceptable photos

Tips

  1. You may provide your original passport or a certified copy when you submit your application. If you provide a certified copy, we may request your original passport to complete your application.

Character

You must be of good character

You may need to provide police certificates as proof of your good character.

If you are aged 17 or older and plan to stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months (including any time you have already spent in New Zealand), you must provide police certificates from:

  • any country you are a citizen of
  • any country you have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

You do not need to provide police certificates if:

  • you have provided them to us with an earlier visa application, and
  • they were issued in the previous 24 months.

Good character

How to get a police certificate

Tips

  1. If you provide a police certificate that is not in English, you must provide an English translation.

    This includes police certificates that record no convictions.

    If police certificates are not available from your home country, you must provide a separate statutory declaration in both English and your own language (if it is not English). These must:

    • detail your attempts to obtain a police certificate
    • say whether you and any accompanying family members have been found guilty of offences against the law of your home country
    • be supported by any other information confirming your character.

Police certified victim of people trafficking

You must be certified by New Zealand Police as a victim of people trafficking

We will check that you are certified as a victim of people trafficking. You do not need to provide evidence of certification when you apply.

Not obstructed an investigation

You must be certified by New Zealand Police that you have not obstructed the investigation of your trafficking case

We will check with New Zealand Police that you have not obstructed the investigation during the validity of your trafficking victim work, student or visitor visa.

You do not need to provide evidence of this when you apply.

Tips

  1. If you were under 18 when you were identified as a victim of people trafficking you do not need certification from Police that you have not obstructed the investigation.

Unable to return home

You must be unable to return home as a result of being trafficked

Provide evidence that due to being trafficked you cannot return home because you would be:

  • endangered, or
  • at risk of being re-victimised, or
  • at risk of suffering significant social stigma and financial hardship.

Location

You must be already in New Zealand

We will use our records to check you are still here.

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.

2
We make a decision on your application

If there is anything else you need to do, we will be in touch.

You must hold a valid visa while you are in New Zealand. If your current temporary visa expires before we make a decision on your residence application, you should apply for a further trafficking victim work, student or visitor visa.

Interim visas are not granted to people who have only made an application for a residence class visa.

Interim Visa

Timeframes - Processing
is a high priority

You must apply for this visa in New Zealand. This visa is a priority for us.

How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

How to apply

Postal address

Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 76895
Manukau City
Auckland 2241
New Zealand

Courier address

Immigration NZ
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand

Conditions

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Travel

You can travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you like until your travel conditions expire.

To travel after that, you will need to apply for and be granted either:

  • a Permanent Resident Visa
  • a variation of your travel conditions, which would allow you to return to New Zealand at a later date. 
Notes

  • Your travel conditions will expire 2 years from the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident. Your visa label and approval letter will detail the date that your travel conditions expire.

    If you are outside of New Zealand when your travel conditions expire, your visa will expire as well.

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.

Transferring my visa to a new passport

Work

You can work in any occupation for any employer in New Zealand.

Study

You can study in New Zealand.