Updates from INZ - 12 September 2022

Significant cost health threshold increasing to $81,000

From 2 September 2022, the threshold for determining conditions that may impose significant health costs for resident visa applicants has increased from $41,000 to $81,000.

Most applicants for residence class visas must have an acceptable standard of health.  

One of the requirements to meet this standard is that they must be unlikely to impose significant costs or demands on New Zealand's health services. 

The prior threshold for determining whether health conditions impose significant costs was $41,000, over: 

• five years, or  
• the predicted course of the condition. 

Residence applications lodged before 4 September 2022 will be assessed at the previous cost threshold of $41,000. Applicants may be considered for medical waivers on a case-by-case basis. 

Working group review

The Immigration New Zealand and Ministry of Health working group reviewing aspects of immigration health instructions for residence applications will next consider inclusions on the list of high-cost medical conditions.