Latest INZ Manual guide for residency visa - Post on MAY 13.2020

[Brian_C]

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https://ibb.co/HT7XMtJ

nothing to say

What a sad day for non-priority applicants


A16.1 General Instructions as to the order and manner of processing visa applications
Pursuant to section 26(4) of the Immigration Act 2009 and acting under delegated authority from the Chief
Executive of the Ministry of the Business, Innovation, and Employment, I hereby give the following general
instructions as to the order and manner of processing of visa applications under Government residence
instructions, effective from 13 May 2020:
Residence Applications
a. First priority will be given to residence class visas where the applicant is in New Zealand. Within this, further
prioritisation criteria will apply to applications made under the following categories:
i. For the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), priority will be given to applications with job offers where:
o Applicants have an hourly rate equivalent to or higher than twice the median wage (currently
$51.00 per hour or an annual salary of $106,080 or more);
o Applicants hold current occupational registration where registration is required by immigration
instructions;
ii. For Residence from Work Category applications (Talent (Accredited Employer), Talent (Arts, Culture
and Sport), South Island Contribution, Religious Worker and Long Term Skill Shortage List), priority
will be given to:
o Applications which include a job offer with an hourly rate equivalent to or higher than twice the
median wage (currently $51.00 per hour or an annual salary of $106,080 or more);
o Applications which include a job offer which requires occupational registration where occupational
registration is required by immigration instructions.
b. Second Priority will be given to residence class visa applications where the applicant is offshore.
Temporary Entry Class Visa Applications
c. First priority will be given to the following types and categories of applications for temporary entry class visas
in preference to applications under other types and categories:
i. Visas (and variations of condition requests) for critical workers to support the Government response to
COVID-19;
ii. Visa applications where there is an urgent humanitarian need:
o Visa applications for victims of domestic violence
o Visitor visas (and variations of conditions) for the following exceptions to the restriction on entry
permission: humanitarian cases; Tongan and Samoan citizens making essential travel; immediate
family of New Zealand citizens and residents travelling with their New Zealand citizen or resident
family member; immediate family of temporary visa holders who normally live in New Zealand;
o Residence class visas for Australian citizens and permanent residents who normally live in NZ;
iii. Applications to travel under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) travel card programme made
by people who are not New Zealand citizens or residence class visa holders;
iv. Diplomatic visas;
v. All other temporary entry class visa applications where the applicant is in New Zealand.
d. Second priority will be given to all other temporary entry class visas where the applicant is offshore.
e. Within the priorities set out above, applications should generally be processed in lodgement date order.
f. These instructions do not prevent immigration officers according urgency to the processing of any particular
visa application when the individual circumstances so warrant that.
g. The previous General Instructions made pursuant to section 26(4) of the Immigration Act 2009 are revoked.

[deverett]

They have basically put it back to how is was before covid shut down the operation, the only change is that off shore applicants are bumped down to the lowest priority which might impact some people and mean a few on shore applicants night get seen a bit earlier. I didn't expect anything different from them when the pandemic note gets withdrawn to be fair. Hopefully with no EOI pool the incoming applications should be reduced, but those who were selected earlier in the year will probably still be applying adding to the pile.

I'm still waiting to see what direction the ombudsman takes on this now the instruction has returned to this as I fear that's the last hope to get this priority criteria for high earners removed.

[Tariq Shahzad]

What is the possible percentage of those applicants who will be prioritised due to high remuneration? I don’t think they will be quite big in numbers, right?

[deverett]

You'd think that but the reason they have such a big backlog is there was though priority cases to consume all their resource. We were hoping the removal of all talent visas being prioritised and it now only being the registered occupations and high earners in that stream would free up some resource but it still hasn't moved.

[EGoodhue]

Just on this, INZ confirmed to me on Tuesday that the $51 per hour threshold for priority allocation applies even if the principal applicant is working less than 40 hours per week. So if you are earning the equivalent of $51 per hour and only working 30 hours per week (equivalent annual salary of $79,560), you are eligible for priority allocation. I was surprised at this confirmation, but I have it in black and white from an Immigration Manager!

[deverett]

Just on this, INZ confirmed to me on Tuesday that the $51 per hour threshold for priority allocation applies even if the principal applicant is working less than 40 hours per week. So if you are earning the equivalent of $51 per hour and only working 30 hours per week (equivalent annual salary of $79,560), you are eligible for priority allocation. I was surprised at this confirmation, but I have it in black and white from an Immigration Manager!

Come on Jacindas 4 day week at full pay idea to boost our hourly rates up

[claire22]

Are work to resident (talent visas) being prioritised before smc visa again??

[EGoodhue]

Are work to resident (talent visas) being prioritised before smc visa again??

Not all - only those that meet the criteria of earning $51 per hour or more or requiring occupational registration to do their job.

[allune]

If only "annual IRD summary of payment" counted (working more than 40 hours)... we would've met the 90k before.

[potatoqueen]

So people applying for Partnership Resident Visa are not going to be prioritized