CAB Napier: Visas and staying in Aotearoa New Zealand

CAB volunteer Bryce helping a client.

It’s been a long time but at last New Zealand’s borders are fully open. This means travelling in and out of the country is back to pre-Covid days. The maritime border is now open and eligible travellers can enter New Zealand by sea. The cruise ships are back and, although there still seems to be some health risk in being on board, the tourists are coming.

Open borders also mean visa waiver travellers and work, working holiday, visitor and student visa holders can leave and return to NZ, if their visa conditions allow for this.

Citizens Advice Bureau Napier are once more getting clients asking questions relating to living in NZ. So, what do all these different visas mean?

A visitor visa will allow you to stay in New Zealand for up to nine months.

If you wish to stay longer than your visitor visa allows, you may be able to apply for a further three months’ stay (you must do this before the current one expires). This means you can stay in NZ for up to 12 months.

The process for applying for a three-month extension to your visa is the same as for applying for a visitor visa for the first time. First you need an idea of how long you plan to stay and why you want to visit (for example, for a short holiday, to study, to work). You can then look at the Immigration New Zealand website for information about what your visa options are. You can also find out the conditions of your chosen visa, the eligibility criteria, application process and fees.

You can apply for your visa online or by completing the appropriate printed application form and sending it (along with the relevant documents) to the nearest receiving office (for example a Visa Application Centre, if you are applying from overseas).

There are several different work visa categories for people who want to work temporarily in NZ. The eligibility criteria, conditions and application requirements differ depending on the visa. On the Immigration New Zealand website there is an online tool to check which kind of work visa you could apply for. What your options are depends on whether you already have a job offer, which country you are from according to your passport, and your age. Using the online tool, you can also see a side-by-side comparison of the eligibility criteria, conditions and what the visas allow you to do.

Some of the key work visa categories are:

* Accredited Employer Work Visa - if you have a job offer from an accredited

employer (this visa replaces the Essential Skills Work Visa).

* Specific purpose or event work visa - if you need to come to NZ for a specific

event or purpose.

* Post-study work visa - allows you to work here if you have completed a

qualification in New Zealand.

If applying online, you will need a RealMe account. If you need to apply using a paper form, you can download it, and the corresponding guide and checklist, from the Immigration New Zealand Website.

Make sure you check what kinds of documentation you will need to provide along with your application. Read the webpage about the visa you are applying for, carefully, to check what you need to apply. Different people have different needs, though, and there are many variables. For example, recently a client asked CAB about the best and easiest way to bring a family member into NZ. There is another type of visa called a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa. This visa allows you get family members to NZ and for them to stay indefinitely. You must be either a NZ citizen or resident to apply for this visa. You don’t have to be living in NZ to apply but you do have to show that you have been living together outside of NZ for five years or more. Your partner will need to be either overseas when you apply or have been back in NZ for less than three months.

Another visa is called a Child of a Worker Visitor visa. If you have a work visa your dependent children can visit you in New Zealand with this visa and study for up to three months. They must be 19 years or under. You can apply for visas for your children at the same time you apply for your work visa. Your children will only be granted visas after your own application is approved. However, if you want your children to study for more than three months, they’ll need student visas.

Lots of information about eligibility, how much it costs, and how to apply is on the immigration.govt.nz website or go to the CAB website cab.org.nz and type in “how do I apply for a visa to come to New Zealand?”

If this sounds rather daunting or complicated, volunteers at CAB Napier can help you get the right information or fill out forms. If more assistance is required, we can put you in touch with our volunteer Chris, who has a special interest in immigration inquiries. We also have an immigration adviser who visits our bureau every second Monday. So, if Chris can’t help with your issue then our immigration adviser can. Sometimes it’s reassuring to talk to someone, either face to face, or on the phone. CAB are here to help.

■ Anyone needing advice can contact the Napier Citizens Advice Bureau in Bower House, Bower St, Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. At present we are still seeing people face to face so pop in or call us on 06 8359664 or 0800 367 222. Alternatively, you can email on napier@cab.org.nz. Confidentiality is assured.