Reopening of Samoan Quota & Pacific Access Category Resident Visas

September 21, 2022

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that the Samoan Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) resident visas will reopen in October. These visa holders will be able to work, study & live in New Zealand.

Due to the Covid -19 pandemic & closure of New Zealand’s borders, SQ and PAC resident visa schemes were suspended.

Unused ballot places from 2020 and 2021 have been reallocated over future years.

Samoan Quota (SQ)

The registration for the SQ visa ballot will reopen on 3 October 2022 and close on 2 November 2022 at 1700 NZST.

The maximum number of registrations available each year are:

• 1,650 Samoan citizens each year from 2022 to 2025
• 1,100 Samoan citizens each year from 2026 onwards.

More information regarding the Samoan Quota Resident Visa can be found here.

Pacific Access Category (PAC)

The registration for the PAC visa ballot will reopen on 5 October 2022 and close on 4 November at 1700 NZST.

The maximum number of registrations available for 2022 and 2023 are:

• 500 Fijian citizens each year
• 150 Kiribati citizens each year
• 500 Tongan citizens each year
• 150 Tuvaluan citizens each year.

The maximum number of registrations available for 2024 onwards:

• 250 Fijian citizens each year
• 75 Kiribati citizens each year
• 250 Tongan citizens each year
• 75 Tuvaluan citizens each year

More information about the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa can be found here.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the SQ or PAC visa, you must:

• Be between 18 & 45 years of age (inclusive) when you apply
• Be able to speak, read & write English AND
• Have a genuine job offer from an employer in New Zealand

Dependent Children

Principal visa applicants who want to bring their dependent children to New Zealand must have a job offer paying at least NZD 49,159 a year. Also, the children must be 24 years or below and must be included in the ballot registration

The Process

Ballot Registration

• Citizens of Fiji, Samoa & Tonga – They need to register online, and the online registration form will be available when registration opens in October.
• Citizens of Kiribati & Tuvalu – They can use either the online form or paper form to register
• Friends, Family & representatives will be able to fill out the forms on behalf of people registering for the visa ballots.

Fees

There is no fee for registering for the Samoan Quota ballot.

For the Pacific Access Category, the registration fees are NZD $85 for first registration, and NZD $35 for second or subsequent registrations

Invitation to Apply

Those invited to apply for the SQ and PAC visas will have 8 months to submit their application to INZ.INZ’s Pacific offices will process these applications.

Click here for information about the Samoan Quota application process.
Click here for information about the Pacific Access Category

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.