Immigration status and supporting documents

Generally, when people born overseas travel to New Zealand they are granted a visa by Immigration New Zealand.

The visa shows the conditions under which they are allowed to be in New Zealand, for example temporarily (student, work, visitor) or as a resident.

The type of documents a client may provide to verify their immigration status depends on when they were issued.

From 29 November 2010 clients with an existing visa or permit are 'deemed' to hold the corresponding type of visa under the new Immigration Act 2009. This means that:

• permits continue to be valid until their expiry date. A person does not need to replace a permit in their passport with a new visa until the permit expires
• residents with an existing residence permit may never have this updated as they do not intend to leave New Zealand.

Documents issued from 29 November 2010 include:

• eVisa letter
• Limited visa
• New Zealand Citizenship certificate (issued by Department of Internal Affairs)
• New Zealand Citizen endorsement (in a foreign passport)
• Permanent resident visa
• Resident visa
• Student visa
• Visitor visa
• Work visa

Only the Permanent resident visa, Permanent resident eVisa, Resident visa and Resident eVisa show a person is a resident.

A visa may be a sticker in the client's passport.

Documents issued before 29 November 2010 that allow a person to stay in New Zealand include:

• Limited purposes permit
• New Zealand Citizenship certificate (issued by Department of Internal Affairs)
• Residence permit (with or without returning resident's visa)
• Student permit
• Visitor permit
• Work permit

Only the residence permit (with or without returning resident's visa) was issued to residents.

A permit may be a sticker in the client's passport.

When a client is unable to provide an immigration visa or permit they may provide other Immigration New Zealand documents to verify their immigration status.

With the consent of the client, MSD can undertake an immigration status check directly with Immigration New Zealand.

Note that Immigration New Zealand may be unable to verify immigration status for clients of British nationality who arrived in New Zealand before 2 April 1974 and do not have a passport.