Immigration New Zealand - COVID-19: Key updates
Information for all travellers, student visa holders, migrant workers and employers.
Epidemic management notice information
The New Zealand Government’s epidemic management notice relating to immigration matters is in effect from Thursday 2 April 2020.
Epidemic Management Notice information
Visa extensions
Holders of a work, student, visitor, limited or interim visa with an expiry date of 2 April to 9 July 2020 inclusive who were in New Zealand on 2 April 2020 will have their visas automatically extended to 25 September 2020. Confirmation of extensions will be emailed to all visa holders.
If your visa has been extended you should have received a confirmation email from Immigration New Zealand. We used the most recent email address that you provided to us.
We suggest you confirm your visa expiry date by checking the Visa Verification Service on our website.
Visa changes to support essential services during COVID-19
The Government has changed some temporary work visa conditions to support certain sectors in essential services to manage COVID-19.
Healthcare Sector
Visa applications will be prioritised for key roles necessary for the health response in New Zealand.
As a temporary measure, some lower skilled temporary healthcare workers that are currently in New Zealand will be able to work in New Zealand for an additional 12 months before they are subject to the stand down period. This will allow those health workers with lower skilled Essential Skills visas who have worked in New Zealand for three years an additional 12 months before they are subject to a stand down period where they must leave New Zealand.
This will provide additional certainty for those impacted, some of whom will be affected by the first stand down period from 28 August 2020, and it will also help maintain existing workforces at this critical time.
Student visa holders that were employed in an essential health worker role on 3 April 2020, will be able to work more than 20 hours for the period 3 April 2020 to 3 July 2020 in order to support the public health response to COVID-19. This includes aged residential care and applies to interim visa holders who immediately prior held a student visa.
Essential Health Workers information
More student visa holder information
Supermarkets
Changes have been made to immigration instructions to relax visa restrictions for two groups of current supermarket employees for a period of 30 days to help manage labour supply issues. Up until 25 April 2020 work visa holders working in supermarkets can work in roles in addition to those specified on their visa.
During the same period student visa holders who work in supermarkets can work more than the current maximum of 20 hours per week if they employed on 23 March 2020.
It is important to remember that any amendment to an employee’s conditions of work must be compliant with normal New Zealand employment law and the individual or collective employment agreement relevant to the employee.
These changes have been made in response to supermarkets experiencing immediate labour supply issues, particularly to meet the increased demand for shelf re-stocking.
These visa measures apply to supermarkets operated by Woolworths New Zealand – owners of Countdown, Super Value and FreshChoice supermarkets – and Foodstuffs Limited – owners of New World, Pak n Save and Four Square.
More student visa holder information
Visa processing information
All Immigration New Zealand offices are now closed. The priority of our reduced staff in New Zealand is urgent tasks relating to COVID-19 and other health matters.
Residents with expired travel conditions cannot travel to New Zealand. You may apply for reinstatement of resident visa travel conditions.
Immigration New Zealand cannot extend visa durations other than under the terms of the epidemic management notice. You may withdraw any undecided applications, but fees or levies paid for completed applications will not be refunded or deferred for another visa. NZeTAs are valid for two years.
Visa programmes on hold
The Government has decided to suspend:
selections for Expressions of Interest (EOI) in the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) and the Parent Category
ballot registrations for the Samoan Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC)
19 capped Working Holiday schemes due to open in the next 6 months.
This is a temporary measure. Immigration New Zealand will continue to reassess and determine when the programmes can resume.
We acknowledge this will be disappointing for a number of people. However, while our capacity is limited we need to focus our available resources on essential services visa applications.
We also want to:
avoid potential public health risks that would result if we encouraged travel by individuals while New Zealand is at a heightened COVID-19 alert level
provide fairness to applicants by discouraging applications that we are not able to process at the moment.
We will update the INZ website as we are able to provide more information.
Migrant and refugee information | Visa programmes on hold
Travel to New Zealand
The Government has announced stricter isolation measures for ALL passengers (including New Zealand citizens and residents) departing after 23:59 New Zealand Time on Thursday 9 April 2020.
People will no longer be able to complete their 14-day isolation period at home. Arrivals assessed as high-risk of COVID-19 will be placed in quarantine facilities, while all other arrivals will be placed in managed isolation facilities.
These measures will remain in place until the Director-General of Health is satisfied that the risk of imported cases from overseas has reduced significantly.
The New Zealand border has been closed to almost all travellers from 23:59 New Zealand Time on Thursday 19 March 2020.
New Zealand citizens and residents returning to New Zealand may travel to New Zealand and do not need approval from Immigration New Zealand before travelling. There are a limited number of exceptions for other travellers who should seek approval from INZ before travelling. The starting point for consideration is that the New Zealand border is closed for all but critical travel, and that protecting public health in New Zealand is paramount.
The following people should seek approval from INZ using the limited exceptions process before travelling to New Zealand:
Partners, dependent children (aged 24 years and under) and legal guardians of New Zealand citizens and residents who are travelling with their New Zealand family member to New Zealand
Australian citizens and permanent residents who normally live in New Zealand
People with one of the following critical purposes in New Zealand:
Essential health workers
Other essential workers who are specifically agreed to by the New Zealand Government
Samoan and Tongan citizens making essential travel
New Zealand-based partners and dependent children (aged 19 years and under) of a work or student visa holder who is in New Zealand
Critical humanitarian travel
All other travel to New Zealand by people who hold an NZeTA or a current work, student, visitor, limited, or transit visa is not permitted.
Limited travel ban exceptions process
Transiting and departure from New Zealand
The New Zealand Government announced on Monday 7 April 2020 that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home.
Foreign Minister media release
Current transit agreements:
Australian citizens, residents and immediate family (partner or spouse, legal guardian and dependent children under the age of 24) are able to transit New Zealand to Australia. Transiting travellers must remain airside and cannot enter New Zealand.
New Zealand citizens, residents and immediate family (partner, legal guardian and dependent children) who normally live in Australia are able to transit New Zealand to return to Australia. If you want to transit, you need to remain airside and not enter New Zealand. If you enter New Zealand, you will be required to self-isolate.
New Zealand citizens, permanent residents who normally live in New Zealand and immediate family (partner, legal guardian and dependent children) are able to transit Australia to New Zealand. Transiting travellers must remain airside and cannot enter Australia.
No other agreements have been made yet. When an agreement is made the details will be updated here.
Emergency consular assistance for New Zealanders:
+64 99 20 20 20 | International
Safe Travel | New Zealand Government
Health measures
Health Officers are screening all travellers arriving in New Zealand. Travellers deemed high risk will be assessed.
(Updated 13:30 Thursday 9 April on www.immigration.govt.nz)
