Want to get back to work in NZ?

The Minister of Immigration announced a pathway for a small number of people caught overseas when the border closed in March to get back to work in New Zealand. It is only going to help around 850 people out of the 10,000 or so who held work visas and were overseas when the border closed.

Border exceptions still need to be applied for as well as booking space in managed isolation once the online booking system goes live. Expect this up and running in October.

To qualify for a border exemption a person must:

• Still have a valid job in NZ; and
• Hold a work to residence visa or essential skills work visa not expiring before the end of 2020 OR already applied for a further visa on or before 10/08/2020; and
• Left NZ on or after 01/12/2019; and
• Lived in NZ for two years or more OR lived in NZ for a year or more and had their dependent children with them in NZ for at least 6 months or have parents or adult siblings ordinarily resident in NZ or had applied for residence on or before 31/07/2020.

The border exemption process is complex and decline rates are high. Take specialist advice.

Work visa rules have had several recent changes with more to come. Keep up to date at work visa changes.