2021 Resident Visa application process

You could apply in Phase 1 if:

• you already applied for residence under the Skilled Migrant or Residence from Work categories on or before 29 September 2021, or
• you had submitted a Skilled Migrant Category expression of interest (EOI), and included your dependent child in the EOI aged 17 years or older on 29 September 2021.

As part of the online application process, Phase 1 applicants must enter their Skilled Migrant Category, Residence from Work application or EOI number before they could proceed with their application. The application number could only be used for one application.

2021 Resident Visa

From 21 February 2022 eligible applicants who had a Skilled Migrant Category EOI in the pool, submitted on or before 29 September 2021, were able to apply for their 2021 Resident Visa early. This included the group of people who had no dependent children included in their EOI, or dependent children aged 16 years or under.

How to apply

If you are in this group, you will be emailed by Immigration New Zealand on the day you can start your early application. The order will be determined by the date that you entered your EOI into the pool. Emails will be sent daily by 6pm, between 21 February 2022 and 1 March 2022.

You will not be able to start your application before the day you get your email and you will get an error message in the application form if you try to apply too early. Up to 1,500 people will be able to apply each day.

You will need to enter your EOI reference number to begin your application. Your reference number will be activated on the day you can start your application. You can apply any time from the day you get your email until applications close on 31 July 2022.

To submit your application:

• you must have a valid passport, and
• you must provide an eMedical reference number for a limited medical certificate if you have not provided medicals within the last 36 months.

If you have a Skilled Migrant Category EOI in the pool that was submitted on or before 29 September 2021 and you do not receive an email immediately after 21 February, please do not worry or call the MBIE Customer Service Centre. You will receive an email when it is your turn.

From 10am, 1 March 2022 all other eligible applicants could apply in Phase 2. Applications made in Phase 2 will be held in the system until the end of March, when processing will begin.

From the end of March, Phase 2 applications will be released in a controlled way for processing in the order of the principal applicant’s current visa expiry date as at the time of their application. Decisions will not necessarily be made based on when the application was released or the principal applicant’s visa expiry date.

The time taken to make a decision depends on a number of factors, including

• how long each task takes to complete
• if manual assessments are required
• if we have to wait for information from an applicant.

Those on a temporary visa close to expiring will generally be released for processing first. If your current visa is due to expire before you apply for a 2021 Resident Visa you must apply for a further temporary visa.

How to apply

If you are applying in Phase 2, you will not need to upload supporting documents when you submit your application. This means you can submit your application even if you are still gathering your supporting documents, including a medical certificate.

You must have a valid passport to submit your application and you will need to provide your passport details and a photo. You will also need to provide a photo and the passport details for any family members included in your application.

Once you have completed the form for the principal applicant, use the ‘add applicant’ feature to add any family members you wish to include in this application. Check that you have included all applicants before you submit and pay for your application.

You will need to pay the cost of your 2021 Resident Visa when you submit your application. You will receive an email confirming your application and payment have been received. The payment receipt will be provided when we start processing your application

We will send you an email when we begin processing your application and let you know what supporting documents we need you to supply. You will be able to upload your documents through your Immigration Online account.

Getting an X-ray or medical examination

If you are worried you have made a mistake in your submission, you will be able to make corrections to this when we start to process your application. Do not withdraw your application or call the MBIE Customer Service Centre. Wait until you receive an email from us when we begin processing your application. Then you can upload a letter to your Immigration Online account to explain the mistake you would like to correct. This includes if you have forgotten to add a family member to your application.

What if my passport is expired?

If your passport has expired, you are not able to apply online for the 2021 Resident Visa. However, from 4 July, you are able to use the paper application form INZ 1365 for this purpose.

2021 Resident Visa alternative to online application form INZ 1365

When you send your application form to us, you and anyone included in the application will also be required to submit copies of your passports (whether they are expired or current), full birth certificates or other identity documents when you submit your application. You should also provide evidence that you have applied for a renewal of your passport, and/or an explanation of why you are not able to obtain or apply for one before the 2021 Resident Visa closes. Once we have received your application, we will contact you to collect any fees if required to lodge your application.