Religious Worker Resident Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Religious Worker Resident Visa
Stay	Indefinitely
Cost	From NZD $6,490
Processing	80% within 3 months
Eligibility timing	Religious Worker Work Visa: 3 years
Age	55 years or younger
Location to apply	Must be in New Zealand
Work rights	Restricted religious work for five years
Study	Permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple entry for five years
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Partner and dependent children included
Visa record	INZ checks visa records
Sponsor	Registered religious charity
Permanent residence	Apply after five years

---

Purpose

This resident visa is for religious workers who have held a Religious Worker Work Visa for at least 3 years. It allows indefinite residence in New Zealand while continuing religious work for the sponsoring organisation.

Eligibility

You must:

• Be 55 or younger.
• Be in New Zealand when applying.
• Have held a Religious Worker Work Visa for at least 3 years.
• Have met all conditions of that work visa.
• Be sponsored by an acceptable religious organisation.
• Have an offer of ongoing religious work from that sponsor.
• Meet identity, health, character and English-language requirements.
• Have at least 5 years’ religious training and/or work experience.
• Have received no welfare benefits or assistance since being granted the Religious Worker Work Visa.

Immigration New Zealand checks its records and your passport to confirm your current visa and first arrival on the Religious Worker Work Visa.

Sponsor and Work Requirements

Your sponsor must:

• Be registered as a charity with Charities Services.
• Have a main purpose of advancing religion.
• Have a genuine need for your religious work.
• Be able to provide accommodation and financial support if needed.
• Meet sponsorship requirements for 5 years after residence is granted.

You cannot be an officer or nominated person of the sponsoring organisation.

Provide:

• A completed Sponsorship Form for Religious Workers (INZ 1190).
• A sponsor statement explaining how your work serves its religious aims.
• An ongoing work offer.

Eligible religious work must substantially involve one or more of:

• Teaching religious scripture or philosophy.
• Leading ceremonies, worship or prayer.
• Ordaining leaders or initiating members.
• Providing spiritual guidance and care.

Religious study is not considered religious work for this visa.

If paid by salary or wages, provide an employment agreement. If unpaid or paid differently, provide a description of the work.

Required Evidence

Identity

Provide:

• Two acceptable head-and-shoulders photos.
• Original or certified passport or certificate of identity.
• Original or certified full birth certificate.

Applicants from Hong Kong or Macao applying there must also provide an identity-card copy.

Health and Character

You must provide:

• A medical examination and chest X-ray.
• Police certificates for applicants aged 17 or over.

Police certificates are required from:

• Every country of citizenship.
• Any country where you stayed 12 months or more during the last 10 years.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old. Non-English certificates require English translations.

English

You must speak and understand English. Evidence may include:

• An acceptable English-language test result.
• English-speaking background evidence.
• Evidence of English competence for other reasons.

Test results must be no more than 2 years old.

Religious Experience

Evidence may include:

• Community testimonials.
• Ordination documents.
• Curriculum vitae or résumé.
• Relevant religious-work evidence.
• Certified qualification copies.

Family Provisions

You may include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger, if:

• You meet minimum income requirements; or
• Your religious organisation agrees to sponsor them.

Included family members must meet identity, health, character and English requirements.

Partner

You and your partner must have lived together in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months before applying.

Provide evidence of shared residence, finances, responsibilities, time together and recognition by others.

Dependent Children

Children must be single and:

• Aged 17 or younger; or
• Aged 18 to 24 with no children.

Children aged 21 to 24 must rely on an adult for financial support. Children living with a partner are not considered single.

Provide evidence of your parental or legal-guardian relationship. For children aged 15 or younger, provide evidence you have the legal right to remove them from their home country.

Rights and Conditions

Work

For the first 5 years as a resident, you may work only:

• In the specified religious work;
• For the specified sponsoring organisation; and
• At the specified location in the supporting employment agreement or job description.

After 5 years, you may work for any employer in any employment.

You may request a variation of conditions to work for another religious organisation if it is an acceptable registered charitable sponsor and offers ongoing religious work.

Study

You may study in New Zealand.

Sponsorship

You must have an acceptable sponsor for 5 years from your first day as a resident.

Travel

You may travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you wish for 5 years from your first day as a resident.

After travel conditions expire, you need either:

• A Permanent Resident Visa; or
• A variation of travel conditions.

If you are outside New Zealand when travel conditions expire, your visa also expires.

Keep your visa in a valid passport. If your passport expires, apply to transfer the visa before travelling.

Cost and Processing

• Cost: From NZD $6,490.
• Processing: 80% within 3 months.

Country-specific payment, submission and cost details require passport-nationality information.

Applying

Apply while you are in New Zealand. Prepare evidence of:

1. Identity, health and character.
2. English ability.
3. Your current Religious Worker Work Visa history.
4. Ongoing religious work offer.
5. Sponsor eligibility and completed INZ 1190 form.
6. Religious training and experience.
7. No welfare assistance.
8. Family relationships, if including family members.

Permanent Residence and Section 49 Conditions

After holding this visa for 5 years from becoming a resident, you may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.

If subject to section 49 conditions, first meet those conditions and request their removal before applying for permanent residence.

To request removal, the principal applicant must provide:

• A cover letter with current contact details.
• Valid passport copies for all visa holders.
• Confirmation of 5 years’ continuous religious work.
• Evidence the sponsor met five-year sponsorship obligations.
• Two recent payslips, stipends, tax records or charity-support records.

There is no cost to remove section 49 conditions. Requests may be sent by post or courier to Immigration New Zealand.