The proposed Silver Fern Visa

Before being elected as the new government in November 2008, New Zealand’s National Party, headed by current Prime Minister John Key, released plans for changes to the country’s immigration policy.

As part of the proposed changes, the National Government has stated it plans to introduce a new visa category for highly skilled migrants – the Silver Fern Visa.

According to an Immigration Policy Paper, the government states, “…we will need good policies for attracting the additional skilled workers and immigrants New Zealand needs to fill skills gaps and grow our economy. This makes immigration policy and its implementation critically important to New Zealand’s future”.

What is the Silver Fern Visa?

The Silver Fern Visa is not yet an official visa category. But if it is implemented, the visa will be applicable to highly skilled migrants with New Zealand-recognised qualifications, whether those qualifications were obtained in New Zealand or from a country with which New Zealand has a visa-free agreement*.

The purpose of this visa category is to broaden the options for applicants to make a long-term contribution to New Zealand and to provide a pathway to New Zealand residency.

The Silver Fern Visa will allow New-Zealand qualified and visa-free country applicants to enter (or remain in) New Zealand as visitors for the short-term, while seeking permanent employment in highly skilled areas in which New Zealand is experiencing a shortage of skills. These visa holders would be allowed to legally obtain temporary work while seeking highly skilled employment.

As currently planned, the Silver Fern Visa will allow holders a 24-month work visa, through which they will be eligible to apply for permanent residence through either the Skilled Migrant Category or Work to Residence Scheme.

Will I qualify for a Silver Fern Visa?

Because the Silver Fern Visa is not currently official, qualification requirements are at this stage only theoretical and are subject to change. However, under the current strategy plans, requirements for applicants are as follows:

• Candidates must be competent in the English language
• Candidates must ensure they ultimately undertake highly skilled work
• Candidates must meet specified full-time wage requirements
• Candidates must have a recognised tertiary qualification, including trade qualifications, from a New Zealand institution OR from a country with which New Zealand has a visa-free agreement

*Visa-free agreements

Not all visitors to New Zealand require a visa for entry, though all entrants are required to provide evidence of both onward travel and adequate funds for maintenance. Short-term visitors (three months or less) from the following countries do not need a visa to enter New Zealand:

United Kingdom and Australia

British citizens and other British passport holders who produce evidence of the right to reside permanently in the UK can visit for up to six months without a visa.

Australian citizens and people who hold a current Australian permanent residence visa or a current Australian resident return visa do not need a New Zealand visa to enter New Zealand.

¹ Visa waiver does not apply to people travelling on alien's (non-citizen's) passports issued by these countries.

² Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports.

³ Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently in Portugal.

⁴ Including nationals of the USA.

⁵ Greek passport holders whose passports were issued on and after 1 January 2006. (Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006 are not acceptable for travel after 1 January 2007.)

TABLE SOURCE: IMMIGRATION NEW ZEALAND