Immigration Act 2009 Amendment Bill - Immigration Amendment Bill 2020 (COVID-19 Response) Summary of Proposed Immigration Changes

Kindly refer to the below information relating to - Immigration Amendment Bill 2020 (COVID-19 Response) Summary of Proposed Changes

This is likely to be passed by 15 May 2020 (with changes if required)

The below information provides a simplified version of the proposed changes to the Immigration Act 2009. The Minister can only make a special direction to manage the effects and consequences of - to contain or mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19 or its effects

By special direction, the Minister can

1.1. Vary or cancel conditions imposed on the resident visas to a class or classes of persons.  

Example – Allowing more time to the resident class visa holders who are offshore. 

1.2. In the absence of an application, grant a visa to an individual or classes of people who Is/are outside New Zealand and are in New Zealand and holds a temporary entry class visa.  

Example - Individuals are too unwell to make an application. This will be used in limited circumstances. 

1.3. Extend the temporary entry class visas, by a period of up to 6 months from the date on which they would otherwise expire.  Example – If a person cannot enter New Zealand within the validity of the visa due to border restrictions. 

1.4. impose further conditions on the visas, vary or cancel conditions otherwise applied on a temporary visa  

Example - Making changes to visa conditions to the workers to be redeployed working for a different employer

1.5. Waive regulatory requirements for certain classes of people/applications.   

2. An immigration officer may revoke the entry permission of a person.

3. Regulations are inserted in the Immigration Act to suspend the ability of all persons or of any class of persons to apply for a particular class or type of visa, or submit an expression of interest in obtaining an invitation to apply for a particular class or type of visa.

Stop certain types of applications for three months initially and if required, additional three months. 

The regulations in point 3 may - 

-               provide for different periods of suspension for different classes of people and different classes and types of visa; and

-               the country or place from which they are travelling or have travelled (whether it be their original or an intermediate point of departure):

-               whether or not they hold, or are required to hold, any particular type of travel or immigration documentation, by whomever issued:

-               any other type of visa that they hold or have applied for:

-               whether the person is outside or in New Zealand:

All these powers will expire after 12 months of enactment