Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Amendment (COVID-19—Applications) Regulations 2021

2021/71

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Amendment (COVID-19—Applications) Regulations 2021

Patsy Reddy, Governor-General

Order in Council

At Wellington this 12th day of April 2021

Present:
Her Excellency the Governor-General in Council

These regulations are made under sections 400 and 401A of the Immigration Act 2009—

(a)

on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council; and

(b)

on the recommendation of the Minister of Immigration required under section 403A of that Act and made in accordance with section 401A(4) to (7) of that Act.

Regulations

1 Title

These regulations are the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Amendment (COVID-19—Applications) Regulations 2021.

2 Commencement

These regulations come into force on 7 May 2021.

3 Principal regulations

These regulations amend the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010.

4 Regulation 9A amended (Suspension of ability to apply for certain visas)

(1)

Replace regulation 9A(1)(aa) with:

(aa)

is in, and intends to travel from,—

(i)

a COVID-19 quarantine-free travel zone; or

(ii)

a country or territory that has been, but is no longer, a COVID-19 quarantine-free travel zone; or

(2)

In regulation 9A(1A), replace “safe” with “quarantine-free”.

(3)

In regulation 9A(3) and (4), replace “7 May 2021” with “6 August 2021”.

Michael Webster,
Clerk of the Executive Council.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the regulations, but is intended to indicate their general effect.

These regulations, which come into force on 7 May 2021, amend the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010.

Regulation 4 makes the following 3 amendments:

  • it changes the defined term COVID-19 safe travel zone to the term COVID-19 quarantine-free travel zone, to more accurately reflect the nature of the travel zone; and

  • it allows a person to apply for a temporary entry class visa if they are in a country or territory that was, but is no longer, a COVID-19 quarantine-free travel zone; and

  • it extends, for a period of 3 months ending at the close of 6 August 2021, the suspension (with limited exceptions) of the ability of all persons who are outside New Zealand to apply for a temporary entry class visa.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2012.

Date of notification in Gazette: 15 April 2021.

These regulations are administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment.