NZ extended the travel restrictions for some foreigners to 2/3
As part of its response to managing the COVID-19 (also known as the novel coronavirus) outbreak the New Zealand Government has extended the travel restrictions for some foreign travellers to Tuesday 3 March 2020.
The restrictions apply to any foreigners who have been present in, or transited through, mainland China 14 days prior to them departing for New Zealand. This decision will be reviewed every 48 hours and the Government will decide on or before 24 February whether the travel restrictions need to remain in place.
This measure includes all of China, but not Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR, and not Taiwan.
From Tuesday 25 February 2020, the travel restriction has been extended to include any person who was a passenger or crew on board the Diamond Princess Cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, or any other notified cruise ship, within 14 days of disembarking from the cruise ship.
The decision to deny boarding or refuse entry to New Zealand does not apply to New Zealand citizens, permanent residents, residents with valid travel conditions and their immediate family, who will still be able to come to New Zealand. Australian citizens and permanent residents are also not subject to the travel restrictions if New Zealand is their primary place of established residence. However, if they have been present in, or transited through mainland China 14 days before departing for New Zealand, they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days from the time they arrive in New Zealand.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is working with other government agencies to ensure a whole-of-government approach is being taken to manage this evolving situation.
INZ’s Beijing office remains temporarily closed. There will be an impact on visa processing times as a result. However, INZ remains committed to minimising the impact on processing times as much as possible.
NOTE
As the Beijing office is temporarily closed, visa processing may take longer than the timeframes indicated on this website.
We understand visa applicants and current visa holders may have some questions about their specific circumstances. Below is some information that may help. These will be updated as more information becomes available.
INZ is making changes to how we prioritise some resident visa applications
On 24 February 2020, we are making changes to the allocation of Skilled Migrant Category and Residence from Work Category applications. We will continue to prioritise people with occupational registration and those earning twice the median wage (currently NZD $51 an hour and NZD $106,080 a year). However, applicants for Talent (Accredited Employer) Resident Visas will no longer be prioritised.
Demand for applications under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) and Residence from Work (RFW) Category has risen significantly over the past 18 months, resulting in an increase in processing times.
Who will be prioritised
We will continue to prioritise people with occupational registration and those earning twice the median wage (currently NZD $51 an hour or NZD $106,080 a year). Due to the volume of applications, applicants for Talent (Accredited Employer) Resident Visas will no longer be prioritised, unless they are either highly paid, or in an occupation requiring registration.
What this means for SMC and RFW applicants
This decision means the priority queue will be a smaller proportion of total applications on hand and INZ will be able to resume allocating applications from the general queue in the date order in which they were received. Allocation is when an application is given to an immigration officer to assess.
INZ acknowledges that increased wait times for allocation are an unavoidable consequence of increasing volumes of resident visa applications, but is confident that these changes will benefit more applicants.
INZ will review its approach to resident visa allocation and processing when the Government makes further decisions on the New Zealand Residence Programme.
Source: https://www.immigration.govt.nz, Coronavirus update: INZ's response. Updated Monday, 24 February 2020 at 5.00 pm.
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