In order to immigrate to New Zealand from India it is necessary to meet the visa formalities applicable for Indian nationals. Regardless if the applicant will stay in New Zealand for a short-term period of time or on a long-term basis, a visa will be required.
Thus, Indian passport holders should verify all the conditions they should meet for the visa designed for the purpose of stay; advice on this subject can be offered by our immigration lawyer in New Zealand.
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What are the visa options for short-term stays in New Zealand?
The legislation regulating immigration in New Zealand requires that Indian citizens must apply for a short-term stay visa, as per the purpose of their stay. This refers to any type of visa that allows its holder to relocate to New Zealand for a period of maximum 90 days.
There are many visa options for short-term visits, but in most cases foreigners opting to immigrate to New Zealand from India for less than 90 days will arrive here under a tourism visa or a visa for business purposes.
Currently, foreigners have 2 options when it comes to tourism visas: 1) the visitor visa, which is obtained following the standard procedures for immigration in New Zealand, and 2) the New Zealand electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA).
The 2nd visa is a type of document that can be obtained online by following very simple rules and which is available only for visa waiver countries.
At the moment, India is not on this list, which means that the holders of Indian passports will have to apply for a visitor visa.
The NZeTA is a travel document that is available for certain nationalities, as part of visa waiver program signed between certain countries. For instance, those who immigrate from USA to New Zealand for a visit of maximum 90 days are entitled to apply for NZeTA.
This is similar to a visa, but it is much simpler to obtain compared to the basic procedure applicable for the visitor visa.
With this visa, one can visit the country or visit family and friends living here. Some of the basic conditions to fulfill are presented in the list below:
- the applicant has to show evidence on having at least NZ$1,000 available per 1 month of stay;
- the financial requirements are reduced to only NZ$ 400 per 1 month if the accommodation in New Zealand has already been paid;
- 1 photo that meets the local standards (for online applications), or 2 photos for paper form applications;
- the visa has a validity of 9 months and one is also allowed to spend 3 months participating in study classes;
- however, one can stay only 90 days in New Zealand without completing additional immigration formalities (applying for a residence permit);
- it is allowed to bring close family members (spouse/partner) and dependent children with an age of maximum 19 years old.
What are the main work visas available for Indians in New Zealand?
Indians can also migrate to New Zealand for work related activities. In fact, most of the foreigners arrive here for employment. A foreigner can relocate to New Zealand for employment purposes by applying for one of the many work visas available here.
The options to move to New Zealand for work are influenced by 3 main factors: 1) the country where the person arrives from, 2) the duration of stay and 3) the age of the applicant.
With regards to the duration of stay, the New Zealand Immigration Office distinguishes between the following: 1) less than 3 months, 2) 3 to 6 months, 3) 6 months to 1 year, 4) 1-2 years and 5) more than 2 years.
Depending on the duration of stay, the foreigner, regardless of the nationality, will need to complete certain formalities for residency in New Zealand.
For stays below 90 days, the law does not regulate any procedures, as residency is defined as a stay of minimum 90 days on the territory of a foreign country. Thus, when this applies, the foreigner will have to apply for a residence permit.
The age categories are as follows: 1) 16 to 35 years old, 2) 36 to 45 years old, 3) 46 to 55 years old and 4) more than 56 years old.
For instance, in the case of a person who will immigrate to New Zealand from India for work purposes for a period longer than 2 years and who has an age between 36 to 45 years, there are 27 visa pathways.
Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can provide in-depth advice on each of these work visas, such as the Entrepreneur visa, the Skilled migrant visa, the Religion worker visa and many others.
If you need further information on how to move to New Zealand as an Indian passport holder, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyer for legal counselling.