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SMC EOI are valid for 6 months from the date of initial submission unless there is no EOI draw in which case the EOI remains valid until there is a further draw.

Section 61 requests can be done via email as INZ are not processing physical applications at this time.

Lower skilled temporary health care workers that are currently IN New Zealand (NZ) will be able to work in NZ for an additional 12 months before the stand down. This extension applies to partners and dependents of the affected workers.

All these categories have been deferred until further notice.

RSE employees can be moved around to where they are needed to support continued food production.

Borders are closed to all travel, except for the following exceptions:

• Partners, dependent children (aged 24 years and under) and legal guardians of New Zealand citizens and residents.

• Australian citizens and permanent resident who normally live in New Zealand.

• People with one of the following critical purposes in New Zealand:

  • Essential health workers

  • Other essential workers who are specifically agreed to by the New Zealand Government

  • Samoan and Tongan citizens making essential travel

  • New Zealand-based partners and dependent children (aged 19 years and under) of a work or student visa holder who is in New Zealand

  • Critical humanitarian travel

Exceptions may be considered on a case by case basis, for

• Health and other essential workers
• Citizens of Samoa and Tonga for essential travel to New Zealand
• Visitor, student, or work visa holders who normally live in New Zealand, and who are the partner or dependent of a temporary work or student visa holder who is currently in New Zealand
• Humanitarian reasons

Very few requests have been approved to date.

The COVID-19 All of Government Officials group will identify and consider exceptions for other essential workers in occupations which are critical to delivering the response to COVID-19 and/or maintaining critical infrastructure. Exceptions will be decided by the Government following advice from officials.

Essential workers are considered by the COVID-19 All of Government Officials group as critical to delivering the response to COVID-19 and /or maintaining critical infrastructure and agreed to by the Minister of Immigration and other responsible Ministers. For more information go to https://covid19.govt.nz/businesses-and-employees/essential-businesses/

All visas that are expiring between 2 April and 9 July 2020 (who are IN NZ) are extended to 25 September 2020

International students employed in essential services can work longer hours while NZ is in Alert level 4 and 3 and 6 weeks there after – BUT they must meet their study requirements.

Temporary Migrants who are already in Essential Services will be able to vary their hours of work and be redeployed to do other roles within their current workplaces. They can also do their current role in different workplaces to help keep operating at Alert level 4 and 3 and six weeks after that.

A resident visa holder who has not travelled to NZ on that visa CAN NOT travel to NZ as they are subject to current travel restriction and cannot travel to NZ

Current priority visa processing is as follows:

• Applications for Domestic violence
• Partnership category temporary visas (including assessments)
• Full fee-paying students
• Post study work visas

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there will be some changes to the way applications are processed. This may include:

• No indicative timeframes for deciding applications.
• No face-to-face interviews or any other activities involving physical interaction.
• Some application types may be progressed quicker than others based on priority.
• Immigration Officers may be unable to progress applications where mandatory information cannot be obtained due to current circumstances.