The procedure to immigrate to New Zealand from Russia currently follows the basic immigration steps that are imposed under the New Zealand law. However, Russian passport holders should expect delays in their visa processing procedures.
Considering the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, many Russian nationals have decided to flee their country, but many nations have imposed various travel bans for Russian nationals, as a part of the sanctions imposed to Russia.
At the moment, New Zealand allows Russians to immigrate to New Zealand from Russia, travel bans being imposed only for certain nationals who are deemed to be undesirable on the New Zealand territory.
You can request in-depth legal assistance from our immigration lawyer in New Zealand, who can help you choose an immigration pathway suitable to your situation. Our team can help you relocate to New Zealand for short or long-term stays.
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Do Russians need a visa for New Zealand?
Yes, Russian nationals need to apply for a visa in order to have the right to lawfully migrate to New Zealand. The immigration procedure must be started at the New Zealand Visa Application Center, which currently operates in Moscow.
In order to move to New Zealand, Russian nationals can opt for 2 main types of visa application procedures:
- in person;
- by courier.
It is also required to respect the program of the institution, which is open to clients from 9 AM to 4 PM, Monday to Friday.
Russian passport holders are required to apply for visas regardless of the purpose of stay. This also includes the transit of New Zealand, which implies that the Russian needs to get to another destination, and New Zealand is only a connecting spot between 2 transportation means.
How can a Russian national apply for a visitor visa?
A common way to immigrate to New Zealand is to apply for a visitor visa. The visitor visa grants a foreigner the right to stay on the New Zealand territory for a limited period of time, while visiting the country or visiting family and friends.
The visa application procedure for this visa type implies the following:
- complete the application form associated with this visa type – the Form INZ 1017;
- provide 2 passport-size photos that were taken recently, but not more than 6 months before the application;
- present a valid passport that has a validity period of minimum 12 months;
- provide evidence on having sufficient financial funds to migrate to New Zealand – here, one can provide the last 3 months bank statements, or, depending on the case, the Form INZ 1025, through which it is stated that a New Zealand national/resident will sponsor the foreigner;
- if required, the person who will move to New Zealand should submit the Forms INZ 1007 and INZ 1096 – regarding the current health situation of the applicant.
Please mind that the application for this visa can be processed in a period of approximately 15 days. It is also not recommended to book any flight to New Zealand before obtaining a positive answer on the visa application.
This is given by the fact that the New Zealand institutions can require additional documents or they can refuse the visa application due to various reasons and of course, this can delay the procedure to immigrate to New Zealand from Russia.
We highly recommend Russian nationals to address to our immigration lawyer in New Zealand for tailored legal advice before commencing the immigration procedures.
Russians can also apply for the partner visa in New Zealand, if they meet the basic requirement, such as having a partner who already lives in New Zealand.
For this, the applicant must comply with similar conditions as the ones presented above, but many other requirements must be met, such as proving that the applicant has a stable, long-term relationship with the person living in New Zealand.
We invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in New Zealand for additional information on how you can relocate here. Our team can present how to relocate to New Zealand under family reunification programs.
Our team of lawyers is ready to assist foreigners from other countries as well. Based on the nationality of the applicant, different immigration policies can apply.
Thus, persons who will be moving from USA to New Zealand may need to comply with different regulations than persons arriving from Russia. Therefore, it is best to receive tailored legal advice for your particular visa needs.
Also, if you are interested in New Zealand residence as a Russian or as a national of any other country, you must know that residency requirements will be imposed once the foreigner lived in this country for a period longer than 90 days.
When this applies, one must obtain a residence permit issued for the reason for which the person wants to stay here or a long-term basis or permanent basis.
