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Assessment of eligibility : Contents

Resided continuously in New Zealand for at least 2 years at any one time since becoming a resident

To qualify for social housing clients with a residence class visa must hold a valid resident or permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009. They must also have resided continuously in New Zealand for a period of at least 2 years at any one time after they got their visa.

Continuous residence is defined as 185 days each year. The period of residency in New Zealand must be met by each residence class visa holder who is applying for social housing with the intention of being a signatory to the tenancy agreement.

Exceptions

The residence status and period of residency in New Zealand does not have to be met by:

  • the partner of a person who is applying for social housing, if the partner is not intending to be a signatory to the tenancy agreement
  • a dependent child
  • an additional occupant
  • refugees and protected persons
  • those with a Christchurch Response Visa
  • people getting Christchurch Mosques Attack payments or
  • people getting payments under the Special Needs Grant Family Violence Programme

New Zealand citizens must be ordinarily resident in New Zealand but do not have to have resided in New Zealand continuously for at least 2 years at any one time.

For more information see:

Legislation

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Christchurch response visa - a permanent resident visa provided by Immigration New Zealand under the Immigration Act 2009:

See:

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 ...

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

or

Legislation

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

Legislation