Immigration
Entry Requirements
You must have a valid U.S. passport to enter New Zealand, but a visa is not required under the Visa Waiver Agreement between the U.S. and New Zealand. U.S. citizens may visit New Zealand as a tourist for up to three months without a visa if they have a return air ticket or hold a valid onwards ticket to a country the traveler has a right to enter; they have a passport valid for three months beyond the date they are leaving New Zealand; they have proof of sufficient funds for the duration of the visit; and, they wish to visit only for the time granted on arrival. If you wish to stay longer than three months, you should apply for a visitor’s visa. For further information, visit New Zealand Embassy.
Permanent Residence
A permanent residence permit visa allows you to live, work or study indefinitely in the country. There are three main routes to a resident visa if you have a skilled job offer or have sufficient work experience and qualifications: the Skilled Migrant category, the Residence from Work category and the Entrepreneurs and Investors category. In order to apply for a visa under the Skilled Migrant category, you must have skills, qualifications and experience that New Zealand needs. To be eligible for residence you must be under 55 years of age, healthy, of good character and speak English.
The New Zealand government also uses a point system to determine eligibility. Points are assigned for age, experience, employability and qualifications. You can use the Points Indicator to check whether you meet the requirements and have enough points to be considered for the invitation to apply. A total of 100 points is required. To apply for the visa, you must complete an Expression of Interest, which requires information about yourself, your family and your skills and experience and meet the requirement for points. If you have enough points and your Expression of Interest is accepted, the government will send you an Invitation to Apply. Full details are available at Skilled Migrant Visa.
The Residence from Work category is for those who have been working in New Zealand for two years. After two years, you are eligible for a residence class visa under the Residence from Work category. This visa category also requires applicants to meet health, character and English language requirements. If you are including your partner on the application, you must provide proof that:
- Your partnership has been a genuine and stable relationship for 12 months or more
- You are both at least 18 years or over
- You have met before considering the residence application
- You are not relatives.
Information about Partner Requirements can be found here.
In addition to meeting the generic requirements in this category, you also must meet the requirements for the Residence from Work category you are applying under: Talent (Accredited Employers) Work category visa, Talent (Arts, Culture and Sports) Work category visa, Long Term Skill Shortage List Work category visa and Religious Worker work visa. Details are available at Residence from Work. If you have successfully established a business in New Zealand in which you are self-employed and have lived in the country for two years, you may be eligible for permanent residence under The Entrepreneurs category. Depending on your qualifications, you could apply for permanent residency under the Entrepreneur Plus program or the Entrepreneur program. For both programs, you will need to demonstrate that you have successfully established a business in New Zealand. You will need to provide evidence that you:
- Established or purchased or made a substantial investment in a business operating in New Zealand
- Have been self-employed in your business in New Zealand
- Created an economic benefit for New Zealand
Criteria for approval and other details are available at Entrepreneur Visas.
Part of the same broad category as Entrepreneurs, the Investor visa is for investors who want to establish permanent residency in New Zealand. There are two programs under this option, Investor Plus and Investor. Criteria vary, but the major difference is the amount of minimum funds invested. For Investor Plus, a minimum investment of NZ$10 million for three years is required. A four-year investment of NZ1.5 million is required for the Investor program. For specific criteria for each program, visit Investor Category.