The New Zealand immigration visa system under the Immigration Act of 2009 has undergone a change from the previous Immigration Act of 1987. Earlier there was a system of a visa and then a permit. But now there is only a visa and an emphasis on “entry permission.” What this means is that earlier the visa and permit were actually two separate documents. But now there is only one single document in the form of a sticker that is affixed into the passport of an applicant. From my own experience of having been granted residence under the Immigration Act of 1987, I remember two separate stickers in my passport. One was titled “Residence Visa” and the other was titled “Residence Permit.” With the changes in the Immigration Act of 2009 I can see how it is more streamlined to simply have a ‘visa’ with the conditions printed clearly on it. About the entry permission itself, it is more a formality at border control checkpoints for the officer to assess that the person seeking to enter is entitled to and will fulfill the conditions printed on the visa. However the border control officer can still stop a person from entering if there is a justification for such an action even if the person holds a valid visa. This applies to most visa except some categories of residence visas.
The visas are now broadly categorised into the following with sub categories within each:
1. Residence class visas.
2. Temporary entry class visas.
3. Special categories.
Further sub-divisions done under each of the categories is follows. Under residence class visas there is now a permanent residence visa and a residence visa. To graduate from a residence visa to a permanent residence visa certain conditions have to be met especially “commitment to New Zealand.” Under residence class of these visas there are also categories like business, skilled, family and residence from work. Each has a specific pathway and criteria.
Under temporary entry class visas, the sub categories are limited visas, interim visas and transit visas. These are further categorised as visitor, work, student, interim, limited, military and special temporary. The last category pertains to foreign government officials who need to visit or stay in New Zealand for the performance of official duties and to their dependents who may have to accompany them. This special category visa is a significant change from the previous Immigration Act of 1987 wherein there was no need for such officials to hold a permit. But that has been removed now and thus even for diplomats and officials there is better monitoring than before.
The current visa system is an improvement over the previous system and creates a more robust mechanism to identify the immigration needs of New Zealand and create specific visas for each such requirement. Further strength is added through the very clear and detailed guidelines set in the Operational Manual of Immigration New Zealand (INZ), which pertain to each individual visa. Like all systems this is bound to change in future staying abreast of evolving needs of both New Zealand and those seeking to immigrate here.
Do follow my blog for more information about New Zealand immigration visas for you and your family.
Nga mihi (Regards)
Arun
