A16.1 General Instructions as to the order of processing visa applications (16/09/2020)

Pursuant to section 26(4) of the Immigration Act 2009 and acting under delegated authority from the Chief Executive of the Ministry of the Business, Innovation, and Employment, I give the following general instructions as to the order and manner of processing of visa applications under Government residence instructions, effective from 16 September 2020:

Residence Applications

First priority will be given to:
1. Residence class visas where the applicant is in New Zealand. Within this, further prioritisation criteria will apply to applications made under the following categories:
  - For the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), priority will be given to applications with job offers where:
    - Applicants have an hourly rate equivalent to or higher than twice the median wage (currently $51.00 per hour or an annual salary of $106,080 or more);
    - Applicants hold current occupational registration where registration is required by immigration instructions;
  - For Residence from Work Category applications (Talent (Accredited Employer), Talent (Arts, Culture and Sport), South Island Contribution, Religious Worker and Long Term Skill Shortage List), priority will be given to:
    - Applications which include a job offer with an hourly rate equivalent to or higher than twice the median wage (currently $51.00 per hour or an annual salary of $106,080 or more);
    - Applications which include a job offer which requires occupational registration where occupational registration is required by immigration instructions;
2. Partnership and Dependent Child Family Residence applications.
Second Priority will be given to residence class visa applications where the applicant is offshore (other than those that meet criteria for prioritisation above).
Temporary Entry Class Visa Applications
First priority will be given to the following types and categories of applications for temporary entry class visas in preference to applications under other types and categories:
1. Visas (and variations of condition requests) for critical workers to support the Government response to COVID-19
2. Visa applications where there is an urgent humanitarian need:
  - Visa applications for victims of domestic violence
  - Visitor visas (and variations of conditions) for the following exceptions to the restriction on entry permission: humanitarian cases; Tongan and Samoan citizens making essential travel; immediate family of New Zealand citizens and residents travelling with their New Zealand citizen or resident family member; immediate family of temporary visa holders who normally live in New Zealand;
  - Residence class visas for Australian citizens and permanent residents who normally live in NZ.
3. Applications to travel under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) travel card programme made by people who are not New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders.
4. Diplomatic visas
5. Visa applications from partners and dependent children of New Zealand citizens and residence class visa holders made under the following instructions:
  - Visitor visas for partners of New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders
  - Visitor visas for dependent children of New Zealand citizens or residence class holders
  - Visitor visas for Children entering New Zealand for adoption
  - Visitor visas for Children adopted overseas before their New Zealand citizenship is confirmed
  - Visitor visas for culturally arranged marriage
  - Work visas for partners of New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders
6. All other temporary entry class visa applications where the applicant is in New Zealand.
Second priority will be given to all other temporary entry class visas where the applicant is offshore (other than those that meet criteria for prioritisation above).
Within the priorities set out above, applications should generally be processed in lodgement date order.
These instructions do not prevent immigration officers according urgency to the processing of any particular visa application when the individual circumstances so warrant that.