One-off 2021 Resident Visa

This category is now closed, however please find below historical information on the one-off visa category that was announced in 2021.

The Minister of Immigration announced the introduction of a new one-off Residence visa pathway on 30 September 2021. The new visa, referred to as the '2021 Resident Visa' is primarily aimed at providing residence to migrants who are currently in New Zealand and providing certainty to New Zealand businesses who are reliant on them.

Principal applicants must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible to apply for residence under the 2021 Resident Visa category:

• Been in New Zealand on an eligible work visa (or have applied for one and are subsequently granted that visa) on 29 September 2021; or
• Arrived in New Zealand on a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (CPVV) as a critical health worker or other critical worker for more than 6 months before 31 July 2022 (additional requirements apply to nurses granted a CPVV to travel to and obtain occupational registration in New Zealand)

And meet:

• The settled criteria in New Zealand; or
• The skilled criteria; or
• The scarce criteria.

Applicants applying under the settled criteria must have first arrived in New Zealand on or before 29 September 2018 and have spent at least 821 days in New Zealand between 29 September 2018 and 29 September 2021 (inclusive).

Applicants applying under the skilled criteria must normally be paid at or above $27/hour and have been paid this on 29 September 2021 and at the time their residence application is submitted.

To be eligible for the 2021 Resident Visa under the scarce criteria, applicants must have been working in a scarce occupation on 29 September 2021 and at the time their residence application is submitted. A scarce occupation is defined as:

• A role on the Long-Term Skill Shortage List
• A role on the specified primary sector roles list
• A role that requires occupational registration in the health or education sector
• Other critical health care worker or personal carer roles as defined by policy including paramedics, aged and disabled carers and workers who install, operate, or maintain medical equipment

Applications will be processed in two cohorts with the first cohort of applications being accepted from 1 December 2021 and the second from 1 March 2022.

To be eligible to apply from 1 December 2021, applicants must:

• Have made an application for Residence under the Skilled Migrant Category or Residence from Work category before 29 September 2021; or
• Have a Skilled Migrant category Expression of Interest in the Pool which includes a dependent child aged 17 years or older as at 29 September 2021.

All other applicants must apply on or after 1 March 2022.

All applicants must be submitted by 31 July 2022. Applications submitted after this date will be declined. Further information on the 2021 Resident Visa can be found in our newsletter.