Epidemic Management Notice Issued

The New Zealand government has issued an epidemic management notice enabling the use of special powers to help control Covid-19. The parts of that notice which relate to immigration matters will come into force on Thursday, 2 April 2020. Immigration NZ have advised that the effect of the notice will be:

  • Temporary visa holders (those holding for example work, student, and visitor visas) who have a visa expiring before and on 1 April 2020 and are unable to leave New Zealand must apply online for a new visa. Subsequently an interim visa will be issued.

  • Temporary visa holders who have a visa due to expire between 2 April and 9 July 2020 inclusive will have their visas automatically extended to 25 September 2020. Immigration NZ says that an email confirming visa extensions will be sent to these visa holders. A visa holder must be in New Zealand in order to have their visa extended. The extensions don’t apply to resident visas.

We recommend for temporary visa holders whose visas expire on or before 1 April 2020 to take particular care to ensure that they apply for a further visa before the expiry of their current visa.

The Epidemic Management Notice also gives additional powers to Immigration Compliance Officers and Judges when detaining people who are liable for deportation. The notice expires on 25 June 2020, but can be extended by the Government if required.

We will update you as further information comes to light.

Talk to us

If you hold a temporary visa please contact us if you require immigration advice or assistance with your current circumstances.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is of a general nature and is not intended as legal advice. It is important that you seek legal advice that is specific to your circumstances.

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