Covid-19 – Immigration New Zealand Update : Parliament to Introduce Bill
Immigration Changes
Parliament will introduce a bill today to support a more efficient management of visas. This bill is said to offer pragmatic solutions to the practical challenges of visa changes for large numbers of people who are unable to leave New Zealand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Immigration powers are time limited:
• Impose, vary or cancel conditions for classes of temporary-entry visa holders
• Vary or cancel conditions for classes of resident-class visa holders
• Extend the expiry dates of visas for classes of people
• Grant visas to individuals and classes of people in the absence of an application
• Waive any regulatory requirements for certain classes of application
• Waive the requirement to obtain a transit visa
• Suspend the ability to make applications for visas or submit expressions of interest in applying for visas by classes of people
• Revoke the entry permission of people who arrive either on private aircraft or marine vessels (to align them with people who arrive on commercial flights, who can already be refused entry)
We have not been shown the full details of these new laws and how they will operate. However, we will have more details later and what they are and what they will mean to you.
Please find the full article by the New Zealand herald here
