V3.140 Approved arts or music festival (30/04/2012)

See also Immigration Act 2009, s 4

See also Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010 Schedule 2

1. Performers and/or immediate support crews may be granted a visitor visa to participate in an ‘approved’ arts or music festival.
2. Visiting performers and/or immediate support crew from countries whose nationals are people to whom a visa waiver applies (see E2.1), may be granted a three-month visitor visa and entry permission on arrival in New Zealand.
3. Visiting performers and/or immediate support crew from countries whose nationals are required to hold a visitor visa to travel to New Zealand must apply for an approved arts or music festival visitor visa before travelling to New Zealand.
4. Applicants must meet temporary entry class requirements for:
   1. lodging an application as set out at E4; and
   2. bona fide applicants as set out at E5; and
   3. funds and onward travel requirements as set out at V2.20 and V2.25; and
   4. health and character requirements as set out at A4.5 and A5.5.
5. Applicants must provide a letter of invitation from the organisers of the ‘approved’ arts or music festival confirming their participation in the festival. This should include:
   1. the name of the applicant; and
   2. the activity or activities the applicant will undertake while in New Zealand; and
   3. the dates or duration of the activity or activities to be undertaken.

V3.140.5 Definition of an 'approved’ arts or music festival

For the purpose of these instructions, an ‘approved’ arts or music festival is a festival hosted in New Zealand which has had a formal proposal accepted by Immigration New Zealand.

V3.140.10 Approved arts and music festival requirements

1. To become an approved arts or music festival, festival organisers must submit a proposal to Immigration New Zealand demonstrating that they meet the following requirements.
   1. The festival has been established in New Zealand for at least three years; and
   2. The festival intends engaging at least 10 international participants (performers and/or direct support crew).
2. The proposal should be submitted for consideration to Operations Support, Visa Services, at the address below:

   Approved Arts and Music Festival Approval
   Operations Support, Visa Services
   Immigration New Zealand
   PO Box 3705
   Wellington 6140

3. Immigration New Zealand may consult with relevant organisations including the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Creative New Zealand, and the Music Commission.
4. Approval will be valid for four years. It may be renewed, upon application, where Immigration New Zealand is satisfied that the festival organiser still meets the requirements for approval set out in (a) above.
5. INZ will rescind a festival’s approval where it considers that festival organisers’ conduct has created an unacceptable risk to the integrity of New Zealand's immigration or employment laws or policies.

Effective 30/04/2012