Immigrating to New Zealand in a Post-Coronavirus World

** Big disclaimer - I am not an immigration consultant or expert. Please consult with INZ or other immigration specialists for actual guidance. **

So you’re enamoured with New Zealand and our response to the coronavirus pandemic and want to move? New Zealand is getting incredible global press surrounding its response to coronavirus, and as a result, I’ve seen a lot of questions on the Moving to New Zealand groups about the best way to get visas to move here. All of a sudden New Zealand’s stock has gone WAY up in the world.

Here’s the bad news: New Zealand’s borders are - for the most part - closed to everyone except citizens and existing residents. In fact, “If the New Zealand resident visa was granted outside of New Zealand and the holder is travelling to New Zealand for the first time on that visa, or the resident visa has expired travel conditions, the travel ban is applicable.” My take on this is that even if you were in the process of moving to New Zealand, had a visa, but hadn’t yet made it here, you’re out of luck. I’ve heard several stories of people with job offers which were the basis for their visa applications, have those offers were rescinded in the past few weeks. With the economy shut down and predicted to struggle for some time, I would imagine that jobs will be hard to come by in the near future. Unless you are a Kiwi’s partner or offspring, getting a job in New Zealand is the most common way to get a visa to live here. (For clarification - there are ways for partners and offspring to get into the country. This post mainly applies to people who don’t have connections to New Zealand and are starting from scratch.)

Currently no EOIs will be selected in the Skilled Migrant Visa or Parent Category or the Working Holiday Programs. Postponing any further migration in these categories is temporary, but it will certainly cause a backlog when things reopen.

Here’s the good news: There are some exceptions if you’re a professional in a select number of fields.

Currently, there is a priority for essential health workers and “Other essential workers who are specifically agreed to by the New Zealand Government.” My take on this is that if you are an essential health worker, you may still have a shot at getting a visa. However, to be considered an essential health worker, you’ve got to have a job with a start date of March - June 2020. Eligible positions include: medical doctors, nurses, midwives, psychologists, physiotherapists, psychiatrists, technical and support staff working in: Theatre, Laboratory, Radiology, Cardiology Blood service, Nuclear medicine, Oncology, Haematology, Pathology, Hyperbaric medicine, Mortuary, Research Staff, and caregivers and support workers within the following sectors: Aged Care (including rest homes), Child Health, Palliative and Hospice Care, Mental Health and Addiction, Forensic health, Disability support, and Home and community support care. There is specific information about this exception found here and information regarding transferring credentials here. The most recent statistic I’ve seen show that there have been 4,514 EOIs from people that believe they meet the exception requirement, but only 883 have been approved.

Once you’ve got a visa, you will most likely have a tough time getting a flight. Flights are extremely limited to New Zealand right now. Last Wednesday was the first day that NO international travelers arrived in the country. While there used to be daily flights from Houston, you now must connect through Los Angeles, and even those flights are only Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays.

Assuming you can get a visa and a flight to enter New Zealand, you should be aware that all people coming into the country are required to be in quarantine for 14 days. There are managed quarantine facilities in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The government covers the cost of the mandatory quarantine stay and meals, but from what I’ve heard, it is not exactly five star accomodations. There are a few exceptions (like if you have a serious medical issue that cannot be addressed in quarantine) that would allow you to self-isolate elsewhere, but it sounds like the government is making every effort to keep people contained upon arrival.

There are some Facebook posts from people in the government sponsored quarantine that show the food they’re receiving, and it is all over the place. Some hotels provide some truly delicious options (i.e. croissants, orange juice, and eggs for breakfast…) but some look worse than grade school cafeteria food. And the amount of alcohol you can order is limited, so you can’t even drink away your quarantine…

Something else to note is that you may not be able to bring over pets right away. Even in “normal” times, it is typically a 90 day + process to bring animals in from almost every country, but I hear that animals won’t be able to travel over until Level 2 is established or June 30, whichever comes first. This may not affect you, but it is something to be aware of.

If you can get here, check out my First Month Guide. Some things will be different if you’re arriving before we get out of Level 3, but much of it still applies.

While this is quite disheartening if you’re desperate to come to New Zealand, I’d remind you that this situation is fluid and changing frequently. I would continuously monitor INZ posts and meet with immigration advisors so they can alert you when program changes happen that may open additional doors.