S4.15 Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy (30/08/2006)

The Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy allows Zimbabwe nationals who arrived in New Zealand on or before 23 September 2004, and who do not meet the requirements for approval under any other category of Government residence policy, to be granted residence in New Zealand.

S4.15.1 Criteria for residence

1. To qualify under the Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy, the principal applicant must:
   1. have arrived in New Zealand on or before 23 September 2004 on a Zimbabwean passport; and
   2. be currently lawfully in New Zealand; and
   3. have not spent more than 90 days in total outside New Zealand since 1 April 2000; and
   4. lodge an application in the prescribed manner (including fully completed Medical and Chest X-Ray Certificates less than 3 months old for every person included in the application) (see R4.1); and
   5. meet the health and character requirements for applicants for residence under Government residence policy (R4.5); and
   6. not be a prohibited person by virtue of being listed in Appendix 7 of the Operational Manual – List of persons closely associated with Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, and the Zimbabwe government; and
   7. not be a citizen of, nor have the right to be a citizen of, any country other than Zimbabwe; and
   8. not meet the requirements for approval under any other category of residence; and
   9. lodge their application under this policy on or before 28 February 2007.
2. Partners and dependent children included in an application lodged under the Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy must meet character requirements (R4.5).
3. Despite R4.1 and A4.10, principal applicants under the Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy and partners and dependent children included in their applications who are in New Zealand on the date the application is made, will be exempted from the requirement to be of an acceptable standard of health for residence in New Zealand.
4. Partners and dependent children included in applications under this policy who are not in New Zealand on the date the application is made, are required to meet health requirements policy for residence (A4) and may be considered for a medical waiver (A4.60, A4.70).
5. Applicants for residence under this policy are required to pay the Migrant Levy (see R5.90).

S4.15.5 Additional requirements

Before determining the application, an immigration officer processing an application under the Special Zimbabwe Residence Policy may require the applicant to:

1. appear before an immigration officer for an interview, and/or
2. provide evidence that the applicant is not eligible to be issued with a passport from any country other than Zimbabwe, and/or
3. produce any other photographs, documents, evidence and information the officer thinks necessary to help in determining the application.

Effective 30/08/2006