New Zealand Immigration has confirmed that three categories of foreign nationals are exempt from paying visa application fees and immigration levies when applying to enter or remain in the country. The waiver covers refugees, refugee claimants, protected persons, and victims of family violence, according to the authority.
Who Qualifies for the Fee Waiver
The exemption applies in full to both the standard visa application fee and the immigration levy that most other applicants must pay. Refugees and individuals recognised as protected persons under New Zealand law are covered, as are those who have filed refugee claims that are still being processed.
Victims of family violence form the third group, with the waiver applying to both the application fee and the immigration levy in full. Beyond these three groups, New Zealand also has bilateral agreements with a number of countries that waive visa fees for their citizens. The authority noted that visitors from certain countries do not pay for their visa at all, depending on the arrangement between New Zealand and their home country.
How to Check Eligibility
New Zealand Immigration advised prospective applicants to use its official Fees, Decision Times and Where to Apply tool to determine whether a waiver applies to their specific situation before submitting an application. The tool considers the visa type, the applicant's nationality, and their individual circumstances.
Related Updates on New Zealand Immigration
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that New Zealand had named the jobs that foreigners could use to qualify for permanent residency. Additionally, New Zealand announced new salary rules for foreigners seeking permanent residency.
The update, published by New Zealand Immigration, affects holders of the Tier 2 Green List Work to Residence Visa, the Transport Work to Residence Visa, and the Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa, as well as applicants under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Visa. Under the current rules, migrants must meet the required wage rate at three separate points: when they begin counting their 24 months of eligible work experience, when they change jobs or employers, and again when they apply for residence.
