South Island Contribution Resident Visa

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	South Island Contribution Resident Visa
Stay	Indefinite
Cost	From NZD $6,490
Processing	8 months
Eligibility timing	Two years on qualifying work visa
Work rights	Specified South Island region
Study	Any study permitted
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Multiple travel; normally two years
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Partner and dependent children included
Visa record	Not stated in the source
Permanent residence	Apply after two consecutive years

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Purpose

This resident visa is for holders of a South Island Contribution Work Visa who have completed qualifying South Island employment. It allows you to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.

Eligibility

You must:

• Currently hold, and have held for two years, a South Island Contribution Work Visa.
• Have worked full-time for two years in the region and industry specified on that work visa.
• Have ongoing full-time employment, or a qualifying job offer, in that same South Island region.
• Meet identity, health and character requirements.

Your ongoing job must be:

• Paid by salary or wages.
• Genuine, sustainable and ongoing.
• Permanent, indefinite, or for at least 24 months.
• On terms no less than the New Zealand market.
• With an employer compliant with immigration and employment law.
• With an employer not on the non-compliant employer list.

Rights and Conditions

Work

You must work in the region stated in your visa approval letter for 24 months after your resident visa is granted.

You must provide evidence that you met this condition within 30 months of the visa grant.

Study and residence

You may live in New Zealand indefinitely and undertake any study.

Travel

You may travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you wish until your travel conditions expire, normally two years after first arriving as a resident.

If you are outside New Zealand when travel conditions expire, your visa also expires. To travel afterwards, apply for either:

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

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

Family

You may include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger.

Family members must meet resident-visa identity, character and health requirements. Provide evidence of your relationship with your partner and children.

A child granted a work visa when your South Island Contribution Work Visa was granted is automatically considered dependent.

Required Evidence

Provide:

• Two acceptable head-and-shoulders photographs.
• Original or certified passport or certificate of identity.
• Original or certified full birth certificate.
• Medical examination and chest X-ray.
• Evidence of two years’ qualifying full-time employment.
• Evidence of current qualifying employment or job offer.
• Evidence of family relationships, where applicable.

Applicants aged 17 or over must provide police certificates from:

• Their country of citizenship; and
• Countries where they lived for 12 months or more during the last 10 years.

Police certificates must be less than six months old when you apply. Non-English certificates require English translations.

Application and Payment

The source states the visa costs from NZD $6,490 and has a processing time of 8 months.

Payment, submission process and location depend on your passport nationality. Enter your nationality in Immigration New Zealand’s application system to view applicable instructions.

Entry Requirements

All travellers must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

• Air travel: submit from 24 hours before the journey begins.
• Sea travel: submit from 24 hours before departure from the last overseas port.

You may be refused entry permission if you do not meet character requirements, your circumstances have changed since the visa was issued, or you refuse biometric collection.

Permanent Resident Visa

After holding this resident visa for two consecutive years, you may apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. A Permanent Resident Visa allows indefinite travel, provided it remains in a valid passport.

If you have section 49 conditions, meet them first and apply to have them removed before applying for permanent residence.

Removing Section 49 Conditions

There is no fee to request removal. Submit a cover letter, valid passport copies for all included visa holders, and employment evidence:

• Employer letter confirming qualifying full-time employment.
• Two recent payslips.
• Recent bank statement or Inland Revenue earnings summary.

Send requests by post or courier to Immigration New Zealand:

Post:
Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 76895
Manukau City
Auckland 2241
New Zealand

Courier:
Immigration New Zealand
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand