2021 Resident Visa – what’s the latest

If you applied for the 2021 Resident Visa and are frustrated by ongoing delays this article provides the latest news.

The total number of applications lodged under this category is 106,071 that included 214,350 people. So far 60,916 applications (covering 111,789 people) have been approved and 172 applications declined. That means 57% of the applications lodged have been decided.

Why hasn’t your application been approved yet?

There are several reasons for applications being delayed, but the main ones are:

- NZ police clearances are taking a very long time to be processed by the NZ police. Immigration NZ (INZ) have no control over how fast the NZ police take to process a clearance and are unable to request priority for anyone. Most people think this is simply getting a “police certificate” but the NZ police clearance includes checking whether a person is of interest to the NZ police (e.g., have been charged with an offence or are under investigation for a crime; but may not have been convicted of a crime). A criminal check issued by the Ministry of Justice does not substitute a NZ police clearance.

- Some people require a National Security Clearance (NSC). INZ apply for the NSC, but they are processed by another government department. These are time consuming and can take up to 6 months before they reach INZ. There is nothing you, INZ or your adviser can do to make these go any faster.

It may feel like life is on hold waiting for approval. We encourage you to take a long-term view because approval secures your place in NZ. It does mean some short-term pain for the long-term gain, but you will get there. Our team looks forward delivering exciting news as soon as the visas land. Stay strong!

Anyone holding an interim visa who applied for the 2021 Resident Visa will get more news soon.

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