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From 1 July 2020, people who have found themselves in a tough position due to COVID-19 can check their eligibility and apply through https://foreignnationals.services.govt.nz.

Under the Programme, assistance may be provided to help people who are eligible and need it most meet basic, urgent and immediate needs, such as: 

• food and household goods required to meet urgent and immediate needs
• blankets, hot water bottles and basic clothing to meet urgent and immediate needs
• over-the-counter medication to meet urgent and immediate needs
• accommodation (including rent, boarding costs and rent arrears)
• utilities (electricity, gas). Excludes internet and broadband connection and plans
• if required, pre-paid phone cards to enable emergency communication and communication with consulate/embassy
• petrol/travel (limited to travel required to shift to new location for employment purposes or to airport to leave New Zealand).

Assistance will be made directly to third-parties, such as landlords or power companies, no cash payments will be made.

No.  The programme will provide in-kind assistance to help eligible foreign nationals who have found themselves in serious hardship due to COVID-19 meet their basic, urgent and immediate needs.

This Programme is intended to fill the gap that will be left as New Zealand’s immediate emergency response to COVID-19 winds down.  Until now, support has been provided by the Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Groups. 

Each person’s circumstances will be considered at an individual level to ensure support is reaching those who are eligible and need it most.  

In-kind assistance will be provided to all classes of temporary visa holders where it has been established that:

• the person is experiencing serious hardship: and
• all other avenues of potential support have been exhausted, such as access to savings or other assets, insurance cover, consular assistance from their own foreign missions, or help from family and friends.  

Eligibility will be established through a series of checks on visa and employment status, savings, alternative sources of income or in-kind support, and outstanding debts.

It applies to all classes of temporary visa holders.

This is a temporary and transitional mechanism that will run for three months, with the intention that at the end of this time, people have either returned to their home country or have secured alternative means of support.

We are working to target of provision of assistance within 48 hours.  We expect some categories of in-kind assistance could be made immediately, while others may require up to 48 hours to process.