Immigration to New Zealand can grant the right to permanently live in this country, but this will depend on the immigration document one has applied for. An in-depth presentation on this subject can be offered by our immigration lawyer in New Zealand, who can represent in you in various legal steps you must follow when relocating here.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Entry visa requirement (from EU) (YES/NO) | EU citizens need the NZETA document, which is a simple immigration document that can be obtained online. |
Entry visa requirement (outside EU) (YES/NO) | Yes, most of foreigners will need to apply for a type of visa upon arrival (visa exemptions can apply based on nationality – such as is the case of Australians). |
Types of visas available | NZETA and visitor visas / student visa / work visas / resident visa / family visas |
| Time frame for obtaining work visa (approx.) | It ranges based on the work visa type – it can vary from 10 days to 5 months.
|
| Validity of temporary residence permit | Most of visas allow the right to temporary residence for a period of up to 2 years. |
| Time frame for obtaining permanent residence (approx.) | Between 58 days and 29 months |
| Investor Visa Availability (YES/NO) | Yes |
| Sponsorship requirement (YES/NO) | Yes, depending on the visa. |
| Time frame for obtaining citizenship | After being a permanent resident of 5 years (the processing of the application takes approximately 12 months). |
| Citizenship/Residency by investment scheme availability (YES/NO) | Citizenship by investment can’t be acquired directly, but the Investor Visa programs open the legal patway to becoming a permanent resident. |
| Tax benefits for expats | Tax exemptions of foreign source income |
| Visa issuance fees | Visa fees vary from NZD 17 to NZD 27,470. |
Fees charged for the issuance of a residence permit | NZD 220 |
Institution in charge with the immigration formalities | New Zealand Immigration |
| Right to appeal a visa refusal (yes/no) | Yes |
| When can a person make an appeal | Foreigners can appeal a visa refusal in a period of 14 days since the decision was taken. |
| Fee exemption for the issuance of a residence permit (yes/no) | No |
| When can a foreigner be exempted from fee payment | Not applicable |
| How long does it take to obtain a business visa? | Foreigners who want to immigrate to New Zealand under a business visa can have their application processed in around 2 weeks. |
| Registration obligations | Upon arrival in New Zealand, foreigners are required to apply for an entry permission, even if they have previously obtained a visa or a New Zealand electronic Travel Authority. |
| What happens in case of overstaying a visa? | Individuals whose visa expired can face ineligibility to work, study, develop business activities in New Zealand and deportation. They can also lose their right to apply for other visas in New Zealand, potentially risking a ban to entry the New Zealand territory. |
| Ways to acquire citizenship | By descent, by birth or by grant. |
| Requirements for citizenship by naturalization | Persons who immigrate to New Zealand for the purpose of becoming citizens must have a total of 1,350 days of stay in New Zealand at the moment when the application is made. They must also have at least 240 days of stay per year, in the 5 years prior to the application. |
| Fees for citizenship application | NZD 470,2 for adults and NZD 235,1 for minors under the age of 15. |
| Residency rights for refugees | Persons who immigrate to New Zealand as refugees have the right to work in this country. They are also entitled to New Zealand citizenship after 5 years of stay, a right granted to their children born on the New Zealand territory. |
| Laws on immigration in New Zealand | Immigration Act 2009. |
How can our immigration lawyer in New Zealand help foreigners?
Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can offer you consultancy services on the documents you must prepare, as well as on the steps to be completed prior to the issuance of the visa. You can rely on the services of our lawyer for the following:
• legal assistance in obtaining a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) document – issued for those who migrate to New Zealand for traveling purposes;
• legal advice on the types of visas available for study purposes – they are divided based on the nationality of the foreigner, the age (below 18 years or above), and the duration of the stay;
• advice for those who immigrate to New Zealand for work purposes – the variety of the visas is rather large and each one has its own requirements;
• legal assistance in obtaining the permanent residency – this depends on the reason for immigration in New Zealand and the type of visa one had previously obtained here (for example, the Talent Work Visa requires foreigners to live here for 2 years before applying for permanent residence, while the Global Impact Work Visa has a 30 months minimum requirement);
• legal advice on how to join family members living here – one can apply for a Visitor Visa, which can grant the right of staying here for 9 months, or for 1 or 2 years if the applicant’s relative lives here under a work visa.
Do all foreigners need to comply with visa obligations?
No. The obligation is influenced by the duration of the stay and the nationality of the foreigner. For example, foreigners included in the visa waiter system are exempt from applying for a short-term stay visa, provided that they arrive here for stays of maximum 90 days. Instead, they will need to apply for the NZeTA.
Who is part of the visa waiver system?
Many nationalities are included in the visa waiver. Below, you can observe a few of these countries:
- Argentina;
- Canada;
- Denmark;
- France;
- Greece;
- Israel;
- Japan;
- Lithuania;
- Netherlands;
- Romania;
- Singapore;
- United Kingdom, etc.
A short presentation on the main immigration services in New Zealand is available in the video below:
What are the main categories of visas I can apply for?
The law on immigration in New Zealand distinguishes between 2 main categories of visa, divided by their validity. Thus, the following apply:
- temporary visas;
- resident visas.
What are the main visa types based on the purpose of the arrival?
The 2 main categories mentioned above are separated by the purpose for which the foreigner requests arriving in New Zealand. Here, we can observe the following:
- visitor visas;
- work visas;
- family reunification visas;
- business/investment visas;
- partner visas;
- retirement visas;
- study visas.
What is the main visa designed for investment purposes?
Persons who have a high-net-worth value can apply for the Active Investor Plus visa, which can be obtained if foreigners are able to invest at least NZ $5 million/NZ $10 million in the local economy in a period of 3 years. Other conditions apply and you may find out extensive information on this subject from our immigration lawyer in New Zealand.
When can I apply for permanent residency in New Zealand?
Permanent residence in New Zealand can be obtained after you stayed in this country for a period of at least 2 years under a resident visa. Besides this, you must also show proof of commitment towards New Zealand (through employment, for example).
The infographic below presents the basics steps on how to immigrate to New Zealand:
How long does it take to process a visa application?
It highly depends on the nature of the visa you want to obtain, but also on the workload of the immigration authorities. In all cases, there is a statutory maximum time. In the list below, our immigration lawyer in New Zealand present the average waiting times, as per the official information provided by the New Zealand Immigration Office:
- visitor visas – average processing times range from 3 days (business visitor visa) to 2,5 weeks (partner of a New Zealand visitor visa);
- work visas – they are processed in an average time of 2 days (working holiday visa) to around 4 weeks (Accredited Employer Work visa);
- student visas – they are processed in at least 1 week (for applicants who want to enroll in local schools) to around 7 weeks (for those who want to apply for polytechnics in New Zealand);
- resident visas – the shortest amount of time applies for the permanent resident visa (3 days), while the longest waiting period is for the parent resident visa, which is processed in an average time of 9 months.
How can one become a citizen of New Zealand?
The legislation for immigration in New Zealand distinguishes between the following:
- citizenship by birth;
- by descent;
- by grant.
Can I have dual citizenship?
Yes, the legislation also recognizes the dual citizenship foreigners can be entitled to, as long as the law in their home country allows them to hold dual citizenship.
Do I need to pay citizenship processing fees?
The applicant must pay the standard citizenship fee, which, in the case of citizenship obtained by grant, costs $560 for applicants with an age above 16 years old and $280 for those with an age of maximum 15 years old.
Can refugees immigrate to New Zealand?
Yes, refugees canimmigrate to New Zealand in specific conditions. The country accepts refugees arriving here through the United Nations Refugee Agency, persons who have left their country due to fear of persecution or those who are family members of refugees already living in New Zealand.
Feel free to contact us for detailed information on all our immigration services in New Zealand.