Persons who want to immigrate to New Zealand from Italy are free to arrive here for any of the legal grounds prescribed for immigration under the national law. One can migrate to New Zealand for: 1) study, 2) employment, 3) working holiday, 4) business and investment, 5) family reunification, etc.
The immigration procedures to follow vary based on the pathway selected by the applicant. For short-term stays, visa formalities are very simple for Italian nationals and our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can present in-depth information concerning this matter.
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How can Italians migrate to New Zealand for short stays?
The visa formalities applicable to foreigners who immigrate to New Zealand from Italy are very simple. This is due to the fact that Italy is included on the visa waiver countries, which ensures a simple procedure.
For short-term stays, which refer to any stay with a duration of maximum 90 days, Italians can apply for the New Zealand electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), which is a type of electronic visa that is obtained without addressing to a New Zealand embassy.
The NZeTA has to be obtained prior to the arrival in New Zealand. For this purpose, Italians must know the following:
- the NZeTA application can be completed in 5-10 minutes;
- the document can be issued in approximately 1 business day;
- applicants must have an age of minimum 18 years old (for younger Italian citizens, the application must be completed by the parent/legal guardian);
- the applicant must have a valid passport, that must be valid for at least 3 months after the departure from New Zealand;
- persons who want to stay more than 90 days in New Zealand have to apply for other suitable visas.
Do Italian nationals benefit from a working holiday program in New Zealand?
Yes, Italy is one of the few countries that have established a working holiday program in New Zealand, which grants the right to arrive here for work and holiday purposes for Italian nationals.
Please mind that one can immigrate to New Zealand from Italy for the working holiday program only if the person meets certain requirements – one of them is to have an Italian passport (the program is not addressed to Italian permanent residents).
The basic conditions Italians must comply with, according to the requirements of the New Zealand Immigration Office, are:
- have an age of minimum 18 years old and maximum 30;
- stay in New Zealand for a period of 12 months;
- from the 12 months period, the Italian citizen can participate in trainings or study with a maximum duration of 6 months;
- the work contract with a New Zealand employer must have a duration of maximum 3 months/employer;
- when applying, it is required to have a minimum budget of NZ $4,200 for living here.
What visas are suitable for investment in New Zealand?
Italians can also migrate to New Zealand for the purpose of starting a business or investing in the local economy. There are many visas that are issued in this case.
Some of the options for those who want to open a company in New Zealand or those who want to run a business already set up here, are the following:
- The Entrepreneur Resident Visa;
- The Global Impact Permanent Residence Visa;
- The Global Impact Work Visa;
- The Entrepreneur Work Visa.
There are many conditions to comply with in each of the cases, and many benefits that foreigners can obtain, including permanent residence. Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can present the steps that must be taken in order to participate in these programs.
For more information regarding other immigration pathways open for Italian citizens, our immigration lawyer in New Zealand remains at your service. Our team can also present the procedures through which New Zealand citizenship can be granted to Italians.
We also invite the citizens of other countries to address to our team in the case in which they need immigration services. Policies can slightly vary based on the international treaties signed by New Zealand with its partner countries.
Thus, if you want to immigrate from USA to New Zealand you might need to comply with different rules in certain cases, but for these 2 nationalities, the policies are generally the same.
All foreign nationals, regardless of their citizenship, can apply for residence in New Zealand. Residency can be obtained on a definite basis or a permanent basis.
The immigration law in New Zealand stipulates that a foreigner can apply for permanent residency after 2 years of stay in the country. The stay does not have to be continuous, but the applicant must meet a certain number of days of stay per year.
