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2021 Resident Visa

New ZealandLong-term residence

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in New Zealand Read the five questions ↓

What exact status does accumulated residence lead to?

The 2021 Resident Visa is closed to new applications; it closed on 31 July 2022. Historically, the principal applicant generally had to have been in New Zealand on 29 September 2021, be in New Zealand when applying, satisfy the eligible-visa pathway including the Settled, Skilled or Scarce criteria (or a specified Critical Purpose Visa or older dependent-child route), and the principal applicant and included family members had to meet health and character requirements.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The complete eligible-visa list and detailed Settled, Skilled and Scarce tests are cross-referenced in S6.10.1 and S6.15 and are not reproduced here. This is a historical, closed category.

What qualifying residence period is required and when does the period begin?

Under the settled criteria, the applicant had to have been in New Zealand for at least 821 days between 29 September 2018 and 29 September 2021. The visa closed to new applicants on 31 July 2022.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Settled is only one of three alternative criteria (settled, skilled or scarce); the visa is closed.

Which types of residence count fully, partially or not at all where the official rules specify this?

Critical health workers and other critical workers in longer-term jobs did not need to be in New Zealand on 29 September 2021 if they arrived and applied before 31 July 2022. The official source does not state which other types of residence count.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Only the supported part of the approved question is captured; remaining route-specific details are unresolved.
  • Captured Immigration New Zealand route page, text line 41
    If you arrived in New Zealand as a critical health worker or other critical worker for a longer term job, you did not need to have been in New Zealand on 29 September 2021 — you must have arrived in New Zealand and applied for the 2021 Resident Visa before 31 July 2022.

What absence/continuity rules affect accumulation of the qualifying residence period?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the absence and continuity rules for the qualifying period.

What other major conditions apply, how is the status obtained, and what renewal, document-validity, retention or loss rules matter?

The 2021 Resident Visa was a one-off closed category. Phase 1 covered people who, on 29 September 2021, had an undecided Skilled Migrant Category or Residence from Work residence application, or an SMC expression of interest including a dependent child aged 17 or older. Applicants also had to meet the Settled, Skilled or Scarce criteria and the relevant eligible-visa condition; approval required health and character compliance and payment of the notified fee after approval in principle.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The complete Settled, Skilled and Scarce tests and eligible-visa list are contained in cross-referenced provisions and are not reproduced here. No current application can be made under this closed category.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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