Persons who are Filipino passport holders can migrate to New Zealand from Philippines by following specific legal paths. The same right is available for those who live in Philippines as permanent residents, but they will have to follow different procedures, as there is a legal distinction between the passport holders of a country and those who permanently live in the said country without having the right to a passport.
If want to relocate to New Zealand from Philippines, you can address to our immigration lawyer for advice on the visa types you can apply for, the fees that you have the pay and the documents that are required for the visa application. You can rely on our immigration lawyer in New Zealand for the legal steps that you must follow in order to become a permanent resident of this country.
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Apply for the Philippines Special Work Visa
If you are a citizen of Philippines, you should be aware that the New Zealand authorities have created a special visa addressed to Filipino citizens who work in specific fields. Thus, one can apply for the Philippines Special Work Visa with the purpose of moving to New Zealand if you have experience as a nurse, a farm manager or a professional in the engineering industry.
Thus, you can migrate to New Zealand from Philippines under this type of visa, as long as you can prove your qualifications for any of the above professions. Please mind that there is a quota on the number of applicants that can receive this type of visa, as prescribed by the New Zealand Immigration Office. Below, we present the basic characteristics of this visa type:
- one can use this visa to immigrate to New Zealand for a period of up to 3 years;
- all applicants can also participate in study programs in New Zealand, that can last between 3 months to 12 months;
- the visa allows 100 nurses from Philippines to arrive in New Zealand for employment purposes;
• one can migrate to New Zealand from Philippines as a farm manager or an engineering specialist, but the quota for each category is limited to 20 persons; - you must also make the proof of having a work offer in New Zealand for a full-time employment (8 hours a day, 40 hours a week);
- farm managers and engineering professionals will have to qualify for the Level 1 of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations.
Those who are interested, can discuss the option to apply for a New Zealand investment visa with our team of experts.
What qualifications should Filipinos provide when applying for NZ visas?
Provided that a Filipino citizen will apply for a work visa, including the one mentioned above, there is the need to offer supporting documents that will show the qualifications of the applicants. Persons who will move to New Zealand from Philippines under the visa mentioned above will have to present such documents regardless of the job they will apply for.
The legislation on immigration in New Zealand will, however, need to establish what is the level of qualification that the applicants actually have, in accordance with the diplomas and other certifications that they were issued with in their home country. In this particular case, an assessment of the document will be done by the New Zealand authority. The procedure falls under the supervision of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
All applicants are required to have the Filipino citizenship at the moment when they relocate to New Zealand from Philippines. Please mind that at the moment, in context of the Covid-19 safety and health measures, persons arriving from foreign countries may need to comply with various regulations. If you are not sure on what the main conditions are, you can address to our immigration lawyer in New Zealand, who can offer advice on the current rules, regulations and travel restrictions.
Do Filipinos have to apply for a visitor visa in New Zealand?
Yes; if you want to immigrate to New Zealand from Philippines for a short period of time, with the purpose of visiting the country or visiting friends or family, you must apply for a visitor visa. In order to move to New Zealand, you will have to provide evidence on the fact that you will return to your home country, no later than the date at which the visa expires.
The visitor visa has a validity of 3 months since the moment it is issued and all persons receiving the document have to provide information on their travelling arrangements, accommodation and having sufficient financial means to live in New Zealand.
For citizens of other countries, a visitor visa is not required. Instead, they can arrive here under the New Zealand electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), an electronic document which holds the place of the traditional visitor visa.
This can be the case of those moving from USA to New Zealand, as part of the visa waiver program that is established only with certain states across the world.
Provided that a person is interested in residency in New Zealand, other visa options have to be explored. Becoming a resident of the country implies that a foreigner will live here for a period of at least 90 days.
More importantly, one must know that a continuous stay of minimum 183 days creates tax obligations, in the sense that the foreigner must register his or her tax residency in this country as well.
If you need information on how to permanently migrate to New Zealand from Philippines, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyer. Our lawyer can help you understand the legal steps you have to take, as well as the obligations you need to fulfill in the process of obtaining various visas.
