Resident Visa
To live in New Zealand permanently, you need a resident visa. There are a number of pathways to obtaining a resident visa, many of which start with a temporary visa allowing you to work, study or own a business in New Zealand.
New Zealand has a net population gain of one immigrant every 25 minutes and 49 seconds. However, moving to New Zealand is not that easy. But, if you are with family, or a parent, with a partner, a dependent child, a skilled immigrant, or an international humanitarian, then you are fit and able to request assistance from organizations such as Immigration Trust to help you in your application for a New Zealand resident visa.
The processing time for such applications span from a few months to a few years, depending on the accuracy of the requirements you submit, and on the category you belong to.
Immigration Trust is an immigration firm that makes the process easier to hopeful applicants, and helps them ease into the procedure. They are officially approved by the Immigration New Zealand that allows them to provide advice on immigration matters to their customers. Moreover, they follow the professional standards set by the Immigration Advisers Authority.
The processing time for such applications span from a few months to a few years, depending on the accuracy of the requirements you submit, and on the category you belong to.
Immigration Trust is an immigration firm that makes the process easier to hopeful applicants, and helps them ease into the procedure. They are officially approved by the Immigration New Zealand that allows them to provide advice on immigration matters to their customers. Moreover, they follow the professional standards set by the Immigration Advisers Authority.
These are the categories under which we provide assistance to reside in New Zealand.
Parents
People who have children settled in New Zealand and have had a residence for at least 3 years and can sponsor them may qualify to gain residence. This is a capped category and applications usually exceed the annual cap. Application usually takes up to 2 years to process.
Partners
If you are the husband, wife, de facto, or civil union partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident, and you can show you live in a genuine, stable relationship and have resided together for 12 months or more, you may gain residence. If your relationship is stable and genuine but you do not yet qualify to apply for residence, you may qualify for a work visa for you to remain together until you meet the requirements. Processing time can take a few months to a year depending on the verifications which need to be made and branch handling your application.
Dependent Child
Child of a New Zealand resident. You and your parent(s) may wish to be reunited in New Zealand. Your parent(s) may have already settled here, and now, you'd like to come to New Zealand to live with them. You will need to be dependent and not married or have a partner. If you are a child and wish to move to New Zealand to live with your parent(s), you will need to apply for residence in New Zealand. Your parent must be a New Zealand citizen or resident and be living in New Zealand. If your parent(s) are not residents or citizens but are living here on a work visa or student visa, you may still qualify for a visa to join them.
- Family
- Parent
- Partner
- Dependent child
- Skilled migrant
- International humanitarian
Parents
People who have children settled in New Zealand and have had a residence for at least 3 years and can sponsor them may qualify to gain residence. This is a capped category and applications usually exceed the annual cap. Application usually takes up to 2 years to process.
Partners
If you are the husband, wife, de facto, or civil union partner of a New Zealand citizen or resident, and you can show you live in a genuine, stable relationship and have resided together for 12 months or more, you may gain residence. If your relationship is stable and genuine but you do not yet qualify to apply for residence, you may qualify for a work visa for you to remain together until you meet the requirements. Processing time can take a few months to a year depending on the verifications which need to be made and branch handling your application.
Dependent Child
Child of a New Zealand resident. You and your parent(s) may wish to be reunited in New Zealand. Your parent(s) may have already settled here, and now, you'd like to come to New Zealand to live with them. You will need to be dependent and not married or have a partner. If you are a child and wish to move to New Zealand to live with your parent(s), you will need to apply for residence in New Zealand. Your parent must be a New Zealand citizen or resident and be living in New Zealand. If your parent(s) are not residents or citizens but are living here on a work visa or student visa, you may still qualify for a visa to join them.
Summary of skilled residence pathways
Figure 1 is a summary of skilled residence pathways available when the new Skilled Migrant Category takes effect in October 2023. People need to meet specified requirements for their pathway, along with standard requirements in areas like age, English language, health, and character.
Fig. 1: Summary of skilled residence pathways
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