Kia Ora & Seasons Greetings!
‘Tis the season to be jolly…and indeed it is!
2022 has been an eventful year - with New Zealand borders fully opened international students have already started pouring in. The introduction of the Accredited Employer Work Visa has made it smoother for NZ employers to bring the right talent to New Zealand. Around 65 per cent of the 2021 Resident Visa applications have been processed since the category first opened on 1 December 2021. The Skilled Migrant Category has reopened after a long hiatus, bringing excitement among onshore migrants. Even the Parent Resident Visa category has reopened. Most important of all – offshore partners & other family members were finally able to reunite with their loved ones in New Zealand after a long wait of over two years.
The Government is trying to attract investors by introducing the new Active Investor Visa Plus Visa. This new visa has replaced the old Investor 1 & 2 visas and promotes direct investments, to boost New Zealand’s economy.
New Zealand continues to promote family unions and is constantly tweaking policies to enable partners and dependent children of migrants to come to New Zealand and live together as a family.
Student Visa & Work Visa holders often ask me questions like ‘Can I bring my overseas partner to New Zealand?’, ‘Will my partner be allowed to work in New Zealand?’, ‘Will my children be allowed to study as domestic students?’ etc. Hence, I have included a very informative video and article on partnership-based visas.
If you need help bringing your partner to New Zealand, please feel free to give us your information by clicking on the link below, and we will help you.
Besides the above, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has prioritized processing the 2021 Resident Visa applications for those with offshore partners/ children to avoid further delays in family reunions.
INZ has provided a revised checklist for first-time international students, which clarifies the types of acceptable documents for different regions.
I have also covered various other topics in this newsletter, like changes made to the Post Study Work Visa, multiple pathways to Residence visa available now, SMC English Language Requirements and some visa checklist-related articles.
New Zealand continues to be a popular study destination for international students. Bachelor of Science: Food Science, Master of Science in Food Innovation, Master of Cyber Security and Master of Business & Management are some popular courses.
Last but not least, check out our client success stories that will inspire you to seek our guidance in immigration matters.
We look forward to next year to continue our quest to help those who need immigration-related guidance.
We wish you a wonderful Christmas season…Happy Holidays everyone!
Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser
