Idesi Update: Visa Extensions for Work Visa holders

Immigration New Zealand (‘INZ’) announced further changes and updates last week in the continually changing landscape of immigration policy. 

Some of the main take-aways include the closing of the Essential Skills Work Visa category (3 July 2022), the new Employer Assisted Work Visa category opening to applicants from 4 July 2022, and an indication that INZ expects all employers of migrants to be accredited from some time in 2023 – even if those migrants have open work conditions. 

 Why have visas been extended?

In preparation for these big changes, INZ last week granted visas to a few categories of visa holders to give people some breathing room to figure out how to maintain or solidify their immigration status in New Zealand. The main requirements for all are that you have to have been in New Zealand on 9 May 2022, hold a certain kind of visa (see below), and your visa needs to be expiring between 9 May 2022 and 31 December 2022 (inclusive). 

 What does this mean for Residence Visa 2022?

People granted extensions in this manner will still be eligible for RV2021, provided that person qualified for RV2021 before the extension was granted, such as holding the appropriate visa. You cannot become eligible through this extension: you only maintain your eligibility. 

 Who is getting a visa extension?

Category 1: Essential Skills, Post Study, Partner of a New Zealander, Ukranian Nationals Visa

 Some people were last week granted 2 year open work visas, with a start date from when their visa expires. To qualify, a person needed to: 

• Be in New Zealand on 9 May 2022; 
• On 9 May 2022, hold one of the following visas: 
  -> Essential Skills Work Visa; 
  -> Post Study Work Visa; 
  -> Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa; 
  -> an Eligible Ukraine nationals granted a temporary visa on 10 March 2022 
• AND the above visa needs to expire between 9 May 2022 and 31 December 2022 (inclusive). 

 Partners and dependent children of those people who qualify for the above extension may also be granted a relevant visa for 2 years provided that they: 

• Be in New Zealand on 9 May 2022; 
• Held partnership visas based on their relationship to the visa holder on 9 May 2022; and 
• That visa expires between 9 May 2022 and 31 December 2022 (inclusive). 

These partners and dependents will be granted the same type of visa they were on on 9 May 2022. 

Category 2: Work to Residence Visas

Category 2 concerns people who hold Work to Residence visas. Certain visa holders and their partners and dependents have been granted a 6-month extension to their visas. 

For the primary visa holder, the requirements are as follows: 

• Be in New Zealand on 9 May 2022; 
• Hold a certain kind of Work to Residence visa, one of the following: 
  -> Talent (Accredited Employers) 
  -> Talent (Arts, Culture and Sports) 
  -> Long Term Skill shortage List 
  -> Skilled Migrant Category Job Search Visa; 
  -> South Island Contribution 
• That visa expires between 9 May 2022 and 31 December 2022 (inclusive). 

 Again, partners and dependents will also be eligible for this six month extension if: 

• They were in New Zealand on 9 May 2022; 
• They held a visa based on their relationship to the principal applicant; and 
• That visa expires between 9 May 2022 and 31 December 2022 (inclusive).