Pacific Access Category

Immigration NZ calls for Pacific citizens to register for ballot

The ballot, open to citizens of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu takes place between 1 and 30 April.

Each year up to 1100 Samoan citizens, 250 Tongan and Fijian citizens and 75 Kiribati and Tuvaluan citizens are selected by ballot to be considered for residence in New Zealand.

Eligible citizens of these five countries need to be aged between 18 and 45.

After selection, the registrants will then have eight months to lodge their resident visa applications.

They must also be able to indicate they have an acceptable job offer from a New Zealand employer.

84 Tongans win New Zealand Pacific Quota ballot 2017

Kaniva News reports the successful applicants would be contacted directly by the New Zealand immigration.

“We will be in touch with you shortly with information on how to complete and lodge your residence application”, New Zealand Immigration said.

“If your registration number is not on these official lists, then unfortunately your number was not drawn and you are therefore not eligible to apply for New Zealand residence under the 2017 Pacific Access Category.

“We will only be contacting registrants who were selected from the ballots”.