Media Release

Successful ballotees in the 2009 Samoan Quota and the Pacific Access Category quota ballots will have an extra month to apply for residence in New Zealand, if they obtain a satisfactory job offer in New Zealand and meet other immigration requirements.

Immigration New Zealand has announced 12 February 2010 as the closing date for receiving residence applications under the two quotas.

”Extending the closing date will give the successful ballotees from Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu more time to get all the necessary documentation and to lodge their application”, says Acting Group Manager Service International, Jan Clark.

“We recognise that it is more of a challenge for successful ballotees to locate an offer of employment in this current economic climate, and we feel that it is fair to extend the deadline by a month”, adds Ms Clark.

The close relationship with the Pacific is embodied by the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category of the New Zealand immigration programme.  The two quotas are government immigration policies that give Pacific people with a genuine job offer at or above a specified minimum pay level the opportunity to obtain permanent residence in New Zealand.

The Samoan Quota Scheme allows up to 1,100 Samoans, including their partners and dependent children, to be granted residence in New Zealand each year. The Pacific Access Category allows up to 250 citizens of Tonga, 75 citizens of Tuvalu, and 75 citizens of Kiribati, including their partners and dependent children, to be granted residence in New Zealand each year.

 

ENDS
For further information please call 0274 422 141 or e-mail media@dol.govt.nz

Note to Editors:
Applications for residence under the Samoan Quota Scheme and Pacific Access Category can be lodged at the nearest Immigration New Zealand branches in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand.
Contact details are as follows:

Fiji
Immigration New Zealand
Reserve Bank of Fiji Building
Pratt St
PO Box 15183
Suva
FIJI
Phone: 679 330 6033
Fax: 676 330 3792
Email:nzissuva@dol.govt.nz

Tonga
Immigration New Zealand
1st Floor, Kupu House
Fatafehi Road P O Box 830 Nuku'alofa TONGA
Phone: 676 23 977
Fax: 676 23 011

Samoa
Immigration New Zealand
New Zealand High Commission
Beach Road
P O Box 2277
Apia
SAMOA
Phone: 685 21 715 or 685 21 716
Fax: 685 21 717

New Zealand or elsewhere
Department of Labour
Pacific Division
Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 76 835
Manukau City
AUCKLAND
or
Level 3, Westfield Towers (Leyton Way)
Westfield Shopping Centre
Manukau City
Phone (if in Auckland): 914 4100
(elsewhere in NZ): 0508 55 88 55
Fax: 09 970 3962