As the world continues to battle against the novel coronavirus, we understand that you may have questions relating to your visas and travel to New Zealand. We have prepared an FAQ below relating to the most commonly asked questions:

Skills Match Reports were introduced into Work Visa policy a few years ago. Since then employers, applicants and immigration lawyers all over New Zealand have been the pawns in a game between the Ministry of Social Development and Immigration New Zealand.

The past few months have been eventful in the immigration landscape. Partnership visa applications were a hot topic and the media could not get enough of it. Migrant protests and political boycotts were all over our screens, thanks to the words of our honourable MP, Shane Jones.

Many applicants underestimate the breadth of information needed to successfully apply for a visitor visa to New Zealand. This article addresses some common pitfalls and practical solutions to overcome them.

If you have had your New Zealand Resident Visa and Permanent Resident Visa for the last five years you may be eligible to apply for citizenship. When considering your citizenship application the Citizenship Office will look at the five years preceding the date of your application. It does not matter if you have been living in New Zealand for longer than that, it is the five years counted back from the date of your citizenship application which matter. If you were present in New Zealand for the total of 1,350 days during these five years and for at least 240 days in each of those five years, you will be eligible for citizenship if you are also of good character, you have at least a minimum knowledge of English language and you intend to continue to reside in New Zealand.

Are you planning to come to New Zealand for a business purpose, either for a short period of time or for a definite period of time, the business visitor visa or the specific purpose visa might be what you need to apply for.

Putting aside the fancy name, the Essential Skills Work Visa is basically New Zealand's General Work Visa. If you are not a holder of a New Zealand Resident Visa, or a citizen, you will need a work visa to undertake any employment in New Zealand.

Every New Zealand Visa Application has a set of prescribed criteria which the applicant has to meet in order to be eligible to apply under the specific category. One of the general criteria is the applicant's character. Applicants for all visas must be of good character and not pose a potential security risk to New Zealand.

Significant changes to residence class visa instructions for Skilled Migrant Category ("SMC") will come into effect on 14 August 2017. These changes were introduced by the Government in April 2017 in order to prioritise higher-paid and higher-skilled applicants. The announced changes have no direct effect on any other visa categories.