The announcement by the New Zealand Government of the new one-off 2021 Resident Visa on 30 September 2021 offers a seemingly easy pathway to residence.
However, to be eligible, applicants must have been in New Zealand on 29 September 2021.
In addition, you should also be on an eligible visa or have applied for one before 29 September that is subsequently granted.
Besides the above two mandatory criteria, applicants must also meet any one of the following criteria – Settled, Skilled or Scarce. In this article, we will talk about the ‘Scarce’ criterion.
The scarce criterion is for those who have job roles on one of the scarce lists. To be eligible, an applicant must have been employed full time, on an average of at least 30 hours per week, in a role on a list of scarce occupations on 29 September 2021 and on the date on which they submit their application. In addition, the employment must be genuine and paid by salary, wages or as per the terms of the contract.
There are four scarce lists:
Providing incorrect documents is worse than providing no documents; hence, you must be fully aware of the correct documentary evidence required to submit this one off the 2021 resident Visa application. The essential documents as per the immigration instructions are:
In addition to the above, an immigration officer may request any additional evidence as necessary to determine if you meet (and/or met) the Scarce criteria. For example, evidence may also be required to demonstrate your current occupation and the occupation you held as at 29 September 2021.
For businesses affected by Covid-19 related instructions, there is some flexibility if work hours are temporarily reduced. INZ will consider the history of contract work and the current contract for applicants working on a contract basis.
It may also be noted that occupations indirectly related to health services or corporate functions like human resources, office administration, property maintenance, etc., will not be considered under the scarce criterion.
Do you meet the scarce criterion of the new 2021 Resident Visa? Then, don’t miss the chance to gain easy residency! Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at [email protected] or call on +64 09 3790219.
Vandana Rai is a Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser and has built a reputation around her rare set of skills, which could be considered ideal for her legal profession.