MEDIA RELEASE

17 MARCH 2015

Pacific Quota Registrations Open

Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji are encouraged to register for this year’s ballot under the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category between 1 and 30 April 2015.

Immigration instructions recognise the special relationship between New Zealand and Samoa and the Pacific Access Category countries of Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji. Each year up to 1100 Samoan citizens, 250 Tongan citizens and 75 citizens from Kiribati and Tuvalu are selected by ballot to be considered for the grant of residence in New Zealand. Following the restoration of democracy in Fiji, 250 citizens of Fiji will also now be eligible for residence each year under the PAC, starting this year.

Eligible citizens of these five countries must be aged between 18 and 45 to register under the ballot. The successful applicants selected from the ballot process will have until 7 March 2016 to lodge their residence visa applications; the principal applicant must also have an acceptable job offer from a New Zealand employer.

Prospective ballot registration applicants are reminded to make sure they have the required forms and necessary documents. Only one ballot registration form is needed for each family. Copies of birth certificates or front page of passports must also be provided for everyone named on the registration form.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will contact each ballot applicant via a mobile text message or email to acknowledge receipt of their ballot registration form including their Client Registration Number. Ballot applicants will need to hold on to this number to check the status of their registration after the ballots are drawn on 5 June 2015.

Registering for the Samoan Quota is free but there is a NZ$70 registration fee for the Pacific Access Category. This fee is reduced to NZ$30 for those who have registered in a previous year. An additional fee of FJD$19 is payable for Fijian and Kiribati citizens applying from Fiji and an additional fee of AUD$12 is payable for Kiribati citizens registering from Kiribati.

People considering registering must make sure they use the required forms (the Samoan Quota Scheme Registration Form and the Pacific Access Category Registration Form) and carefully follow the instructions on the forms about what information and documents to provide. Limited numbers of forms will be available at the INZ offices in Nuku’alofa and Apia.

For further information contact the media line on 0274 422 141 or email media@mbie.govt.nz

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