Contents
Sole Parent Support : Contents

Residence

To be granted Sole Parent Support, a client must:

  • be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident (ie not be in New Zealand unlawfully, here on a temporary entry class visa or a temporary permit) or
  • be deemed to hold a residence class visa in New Zealand under the Immigration Act 2009 (eg Australian citizens or residents) and
  • have lived continuously in New Zealand for 2 years or more at any one time since becoming a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and
  • be ordinarily resident in New Zealand when they first apply for benefit and
  • generally be ordinarily resident in New Zealand

For more information see:

Note clients who are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident but have not lived in New Zealand continuously for 2 years may be eligible for an Emergency Maintenance Allowance.

If a client is from overseas or is a refugee or protected person special provisions may apply, see:

Legislation

  • Residential requirement section 16 Social Security Act 2018
  • Regulations: residential requirement section 421 Social Security Act 2018
  • MSD may refuse or cancel benefit if person not ordinarily resident in New Zealand section 204 Social Security Act 2018
  • General limitation on receiving benefit: persons unlawfully resident or present in New Zealand and persons holding temporary entry class visa section 19 Social Security Act 2018
  • Refugee or protected person status section 205 Social Security Act 2018
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A person can be a New Zealand citizen by either:

For New Zealand citizenship, New Zealand includes the self-governing states of:

Citizenship is granted by the Department of Internal Affairs.

Note people born in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, or Tokelau may not automatically be New Zealand citizens. To be considered a New Zealand citizen from birth, a person born on or after 1 January 2006 must have:

A refugee means a person recognised under the Immigration Act 2009 as:

or

Legislation

A residence class visa means a:

A residence class visa allows people to live in New Zealand indefinitely. The visa also lets people work and study in New Zealand. There are different travel conditions based on the type of residence class visa.

Residence class visas are granted by Immigration New Zealand.

For the purpose of deciding if a person meets the residence criteria for financial assistance from MSD, people who ...

Temporary entry class visas are issued to people who have arrived in New Zealand legally, but are only allowed to stay for a temporary period for the duration and purposes indicated on the visa.

A temporary entry class visa means:

Legislation

A protected person under the Immigration Act 2009 means a person recognised as a protected person in New Zealand under the:

Legislation

Temporary permits were granted before 29 November 2010 for visits, work or study. A temporary permit only allows a person to stay legally in New Zealand for the duration and purposes indicated on the permit.

Temporary permits granted under the Immigration Act 1987 continue to be valid until their expiry date.