Stronger visa law powers to government

[VedSaumya]

Hi all,

To manage immigration issues in covid circumstances, the government introduced bill with eight time limited powers allowing it to:
• Impose, vary or cancel conditions for classes of temporary-entry visa holders
• Vary or cancel conditions for classes of resident-class visa holders
• Extend the expiry dates of visas for classes of people
• Grant visas to individuals and classes of people in the absence of an application
• Waive any regulatory requirements for certain classes of application
• Waive the requirement to obtain a transit visa
• Suspend the ability to make applications for visas or submit expressions of interest in applying for visas by classes of people
• Revoke the entry permission of people who arrive either on private aircraft or marine vessels (to align them with people who arrive on commercial flights, who can already be refused entry)

Cannot predict impact, but this would definitely involve NZ economic and labour market condition in months to come.

Source here- https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...fzZh12q_t2zcgk

[MagicPizza]

"Vary or cancel conditions for classes of resident-class visa holders"

Yikes.

[LemonAndPaeroa]

I did not sleep well last night after this announcement. I want to go back to my home country for a month in July/August, to see my family. It’s been a tough time and I really want to spend some time with them. However, as a permanent resident I am worried that they might impose stricter rules and I might not be able to enter anymore. I might contact a lawyer - it does appear that as a permanent resident I have the right to enter NZ, however I think many things that have happened over the last two months don’t have a solid legal basis.

[LemonAndPaeroa]

"Vary or cancel conditions for classes of resident-class visa holders"

Yikes.

Considering that the first point says “impose” as well I would read this as mainly positive, however considering how crazy the last two months have been, like you I am worried.

[Cotterbrian]

I did not sleep well last night after this announcement. I want to go back to my home country for a month in July/August, to see my family. It’s been a tough time and I really want to spend some time with them. However, as a permanent resident I am worried that they might impose stricter rules and I might not be able to enter anymore. I might contact a lawyer - it does appear that as a permanent resident I have the right to enter NZ, however I think many things that have happened over the last two months don’t have a solid legal basis.

What makes you think this could impact permanent resident visa holders? Non-permanent for sure could be affected, but surely not permanent?

[LemonAndPaeroa]

It sounded from discussions in the news only citizens could not be banned from entry. Who knows what they’ll do?

[MagicPizza]

I did not sleep well last night after this announcement. I want to go back to my home country for a month in July/August, to see my family. It’s been a tough time and I really want to spend some time with them. However, as a permanent resident I am worried that they might impose stricter rules and I might not be able to enter anymore. I might contact a lawyer - it does appear that as a permanent resident I have the right to enter NZ, however I think many things that have happened over the last two months don’t have a solid legal basis.

I personally think you'll be ok as a PR – there's no regulations saying you can't come back in. I would maybe weigh up the decision to go home though – like you I would like to see my family as they're in a country that isn't doing well, but I don't think it's the best thing to do right now. Plus flights are crazy money. I'm just wondering if they'll change travel conditions on resident visas.

[LemonAndPaeroa]

I would hope that they would be more lenient with the travel conditions!

I booked this trip in early February so unless flights are cancelled it is kind of fixed! We will see how things develop but it would give me peace of mind to know I’d be able to come back!

[JandM]

For your own sake, don't jump to conclusions on the basis of this thin summary in the press - wait till the government gives details. Any "discussions in the news" are ONLY people guessing, like any of us might do, and what they say is no more likely to be right just because it's in print or spoken into a microphone.

[MagicPizza]

I would hope that they would be more lenient with the travel conditions!

I booked this trip in early February so unless flights are cancelled it is kind of fixed! We will see how things develop but it would give me peace of mind to know I’d be able to come back!

I think you're right. I suppose they would want to give peace of mind to residents abroad who's travel conditions are expiring soon.

Lees Galloway said "One of the practical challenges is to quickly manage visa changes for large numbers of migrants who are unable to leave New Zealand due to the Covid-19 pandemic" – they kind of have to apply that same logic to the residents that are stuck overseas too.