Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Amendment (COVID-19—Applications) Regulations (No 2) 2022

2022/136

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Amendment (COVID-19—Applications) Regulations (No 2) 2022

Cindy Kiro, Governor-General

Order in Council

At Wellington this 9th day of May 2022

Present:
The Right Hon Jacinda Ardern presiding 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) of that Act.

Regulations

1 Title

These regulations are the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Amendment (COVID-19—Applications) Regulations (No 2) 2022.

2 Commencement

(1)

Regulation 4(1) and (3) comes into force on 16 May 2022.

(2)

Regulation 4(2) comes into force on 4 July 2022.

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)

After regulation 9A(1)(aa), insert:

(ab)

is applying for a visitor visa and is in, and intends to travel from, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, or Vanuatu; or

(2)

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

(ea)

is applying for a work visa; or

(3)

In regulation 9A(3) and (4), replace “5 August 2022” with “31 July 2022”.

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

The amendments relate to regulation 9A of the principal regulations. That regulation temporarily suspends the ability of a person outside New Zealand to apply for a temporary entry class visa, with certain exceptions. These regulations make 2 changes that progressively relax the suspension by broadening the exceptions, and bring forward the date on which the suspension will be lifted entirely.

Regulation 4(1), which commences on 16 May 2022, inserts new regulation 9A(1)(ab), to allow persons in the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, or Vanuatu to apply for a visitor visa.

Regulation 4(2), which commences on 4 July 2022, replaces regulation 9A(1)(ea) to allow all persons outside New Zealand to apply for a work visa (instead of only those who apply under a working holiday scheme).

Regulation 4(3), which commences on 16 May 2022, brings forward the end date for the period of the suspension from 5 August 2022 to 31 July 2022, when regulation 9A will be revoked entirely.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2019.

Date of notification in Gazette: 12 May 2022.

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