The New Zealand immigration authorities have created special visas for Ukrainian citizens who fled their own country. This ensured they could immigrate to New Zealand from Ukraine following a simple immigration route, suitable for humanitarian purposes.
This was in 2022, when New Zealand received many visa requests from Ukrainians, as millions of citizens had to seek refuge elsewhere, in neighboring countries or even more remote locations, such as New Zealand. Currently, the visa programs created especially for Ukrainians were discontinued (from the 1st quarter of 2024).
Those who are already in this country have the opportunity of applying for permanent residency in New Zealand, following the implementation of a new type of visa. Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can provide legal assistance and representation during the visa application process.
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What is the purpose of the Ukrainian Resident visa?
The Ukrainian Resident visa is a new immigration document addressed only to Ukrainian nationals, through which they can receive permanent residency, among several other rights. However, the law on immigration in New Zealand stipulates that eligible candidates must be the holders of the 2022 Special Ukraine visa.
The 2022 Special Ukraine visa is the immigration document that allowed Ukrainians to move to New Zealand from Ukraine when the war in Ukraine started. The new visa is addressed not only to those who were issued with the 2022 visa, but also to their close family members (at least 1 member in the family must have been issued with the 2022 visa). Additionally, the law on immigration to New Zealand for the Resident visa stipulates:
- the person holding the 2022 visa must have arrived here prior to 15th of March 2024 (the latest, on 15th of March 2024);
- it is necessary to pay a processing fee (NZD 1,200 for those who are in New Zealand and NZD 2,060 for those outside the country, who plan to relocate to New Zealand from Ukraine);
- Ukrainians can apply for this visa until 16th of March 2026;
- in order to immigrate to New Zealand, you must have a Limited Medical Certificate (INZ 1201).
Please be aware of the fact that when you immigrate to New Zealand from Ukraine, you will need to submit a clean criminal record if you are above 17 years old. The same rule applies for any person included in the application, who meets this age criterion.
The police certificate must be issued by the authorities of the country where you are a citizen (in other words, when you directly move to New Zealand from Ukraine) or from the country/countries where you have stayed for a period longer than 12 months.
What is the data on Ukrainian refugees in New Zealand?
Because of the geographical distance between the 2 countries, not many people opted to relocate to New Zealand from Ukraine. For example, according to the data provided by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), by March 2024, the INZ issued 1,879 Special visas to Ukrainians.
This number accounts for a reduced visa demand, compared to the number of visas or other immigration permits issued to Ukrainians by other countries, especially Ukraine’s neighboring countries. However, the visas issued by the INZ stand in line with the number of visas issued by other jurisdictions located in the same region, such as Australia.
Given that the main type of humanitarian visa created especially for Ukrainians was closed at the beginning of 2024, other visa options should be identified and for this, our immigration lawyer in New Zealand remains at your service. Of course, you can address us if you need advice on non-humanitarian visas such as for employment, family reunification, business, etc.
Our services are designed to fit the needs of a variety of clients who migrate to New Zealand and we can represent any foreign national, citizen of a country or its permanent resident. We can help you in the process of moving from USA to New Zealand, from Latin America, the EU and UK, and any other part of the world, so do not hesitate to contact our team.
