NZ residence visa ballot reopening

Samoan citizens aged 18-45 can apply for a Samoan Quota Resident Visa to come and live, work and study in Aotearoa, New Zealand. 

A great way for employers to find excellent workers to fulfil New Zealand’s labour shortage and for Samoan citizens to secure a permanent pathway to living in New Zealand, the Samoan Quota is a longstanding visa category that enables people from among New Zealand’s Pacific partner countries to become residents of New Zealand.

If you need help applying or want help with job offers, call 09-283 0157. We provide help with visas and legal support to both migrants and employers in New Zealand.

From October 3rd, 2022, Samoan citizens will again have the opportunity to apply for NZ resident visas 

Due to the Covid -19 pandemic and the closure of New Zealand’s borders, Samoan Quota resident visa schemes were suspended. Unused ballot places from this time – 2020 and 2021 – will be reallocated over the four years from 2022 to 2025.

• Samoan Quota Resident Visa is available to 1,650 Samoan citizens each year from 2022 to 2025
• Samoan Quota Resident Visa is available to 1,100 Samoan citizens each year from 2026 onwards

Samoan citizens will be able to reside in New Zealand indefinitely. They will also be able to include partners and any dependent children aged 24 and under in their residence application.

How to get a Samoan Quota Resident Visa

The resident visa is operated on a ballot system. If a person’s registration form is drawn from the ballot, they may be invited to apply for New Zealand residency. Their residency application will be considered if they apply within eight months of being invited to do so. The Samoan Quota will open for registrations from 3 October and will close on 2 November. 

To be eligible for the Samoan Quota, you must:

• Be a Samoan citizen
• Meet health and character requirements
• Have a Samoan passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the intended date of travel to New Zealand
• Be between 18 and 45 years of age upon application
• Be able to speak, read and write English 
• Have a genuine job offer from an employer in New Zealand
• Principal visa applicants who want to bring their dependent children to New Zealand must have a job offer paying at least NZD 49,159 a year. Also, the children must be 24 years or below and be included in the ballot registration

Applying for a Samoan Quota Residency Visa

The Samoan Quota is administrated out of Samoa. For more information about Quota Resident Visas for Samoan citizens, or for help registering for the ballot, please contact the Idesi Legal team.

Help with visas and job offers wherever you are

If you can’t make it to our Auckland IDESI LEGAL office at Level 1, 207 Broadway, Newmarket, to see us personally, we can connect with you online and work with you using video calls. Call us on 09-283 0157 to set up a meeting. We use Microsoft Teams, so our team can help you with your visa inquiries or provide help to employers about job offers wherever you are. We’ll send you a link, you click on it, and we’ll do the rest.