RW7.5 Residence instructions for holders of work visas granted under Religious Worker instructions

Holders of visas granted under Religious Worker instructions (or Ministers of religion, missionaries, and members of religious orders instructions, or Specific purpose or event work instructions before 5 November 2011) may be granted a resident visa where they:

1. have held a work visa for a period of at least three years, and met the conditions of that visa granted under:
   1. Religious Worker instructions;
   2. Ministers of religion, missionaries, and members of religious orders instructions (before 5 November 2011); or
   3. Specific purpose or event work instructions before 5 November 2011); and
2. have an acceptable sponsor (see RW7.10); and
3. have a genuine offer of work from their sponsor that is:
   1. for religious work (see RW7.5.1); and
   2. in New Zealand; and
   3. ongoing (permanent, indefinite, or for a stated term of at least five years); and
4. are aged 55 years or under; and
5. meet the minimum English language requirements (see RW5.1); and
6. have at least five years of religious training and/or religious work experience; and
7. meet health and character requirements (see A4 and A5); and
8. have not, at any time since the grant of their work visa under the Religious Worker instructions, applied for, or been granted welfare assistance under the Social Security Act 1964. (For the purpose of these instructions, any welfare assistance applied for by, or granted to, a partner or child of the holder of a work visa granted under these instructions is welfare assistance applied for or granted to the holder.)

   Note: Applicants under these instructions must be in New Zealand at the time they lodge their application for a resident visa.

RW7.5.1 Definition of ‘religious work’

1. Religious work must substantially be a primary role including one or more of the following:
   1. teaching or guidance in religious scripture or philosophy;
   2. leading religious practice, worship or prayer;
   3. conducting religious initiations, ordination or ritual;
   4. ministering or pastoral care;
   5. roles of religious leadership in relation to any of the above.
2. Applicants are considered to be undertaking religious work where INZ is satisfied that the work the applicant is being sponsored to undertake directly serves the religious objectives of the sponsoring organisation.

   Note: Supporting roles for the sponsoring organisation, including cooking or cleaning may be secondary roles a religious worker may undertake. Secondary roles, however, will not in themselves qualify as religious work for the purposes of a visa. Religious study is not considered religious work for the purposes of these instructions.

3. Religious work may include:
   1. employment for a position that is paid a salary or wages; or
   2. work for a position that is paid a stipend; or
   3. work for a position that does not receive direct financial return to the worker, or
   4. work for a position that is paid through any alternative arrangement to RW7.5.1 (c) (i) - (iii).
4. Where a religious worker is employed by the sponsoring organisation (RW7.5.1(c) (i)), the sponsoring organisation must supply an employment agreement for the duration of the sponsorship obligations.
5. Where a religious worker is not employed by the sponsoring organisation (RW7.5.1(c) (ii) - (iv)), the sponsoring organisation must provide a description of the work that includes the primary role(s), and any secondary role(s) the religious worker will be expected to undertake.

Effective 06/07/2015