top of page
john88811

Here we go! - New Zealand plan for border changes and immigration opportunities.




Yes - we are lagging behind the rest of the world and depending on your view of Covid and Omicron you can argue whether that's a good or a bad thing. However at last we have a glimpse of a plan for the reopening of our borders and as a result the migration opportunities.


If you have read our previous blogs you will know that New Zealand migration will be very different in the future as the government has taken the opportunity provided by Covid to "reset" our immigration rules and processes.


The following is the 5 stage process announced yesterday for the reopening of our borders.


STEP 1 From 11.59pm, Sunday 27 February 2022

  • Reopen to New Zealanders and other eligible travellers under current border settings (e.g. people with border exceptions) from Australia

STEP 2 From 11:59 pm, Sunday 13 March 2022

  • Reopen to New Zealanders and other eligible travellers under current border settings from the rest of the world

  • Open to skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage

  • Open to Working Holiday Scheme visas

STEP 3 From 11:59 pm, Tuesday 12 April 2022

  • Open to current offshore temporary visa holders, who can still meet the relevant visa requirements,

  • Open to up to 5000 international students for semester two

  • Further class exceptions for critical workforces that do not meet the 1.5 times the median wage test will be considered

STEP 4 By July 2022

  • Open to anyone from Australia

  • Open for visa-waiver travel

  • The Accredited Employer Work Visa will open, meaning the skilled and health worker border exception can be phased out

STEP 5 October 2022

  • Border fully reopens to visitors from anywhere in the world, and all visa categories fully reopen.

You can visit here for the full press release

147 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page