New Zealand to Open New Visa Application Center in Samoa on November 4

Key Takeaways

  • New Zealand will open a new visa application center in Samoa’s capital, Apia.
  • The new Visa Application Centre of New Zealand, in partnership with VFS Global company, will open in November 2024.
  • There will also be a transitional period for Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) applications.

New Zealand will open a new visa application center in Apia, Samoa, on November 4, 2024, aiming to streamline the visa application process.

Through a statement, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New Zealand has confirmed the opening of the new center, offering visa application services, launched in partnership with an outsourcing company VFS Global, and VisaGuide.World reports.

The opening of a Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Apia will enhance the service offerings for INZ’s Samoan clients, featuring an application lodgement service available from Monday to Friday, between 09:00 and 16:00. The existing INZ Apia office counter, which currently operates for just one hour each day, will close on Friday,  November 1, 2024.

New Zealand Immigration

The official immigration website of New Zealand’s government noted that starting from November 4, those waiting to submit paper visa applications in person are eligible to do so through the Apia Visa Application Center (VAC).

New Zealand Immigration also revealed the fee for visa application services, which applicants need to pay.

A VAC service fee of WST90 per application will apply.

New Zealand Immigration

Transitional Period for Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) Applications

According to the website of New Zealand, a transitional period will be applied for Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) applications to the visa application center, stressing that INZ Apia will still accept RSE visa applications for two weeks for a period from 4 to 18 November 2024.

New Zealand’s Seasonal Employer (RSE) program, which became effective in 2007, permits horticulture and viticulture industries to bring in seasonal workers from overseas to temporarily work in NZ when the country struggles to find workers within its territory.

Cap for this scheme has increased continuously since the program was launched. While the cap in 2009 was 8,000, in 2022/2023, it reached 19,000.

Under the RSE policy, employers can only hire workers from the following countries unless they prove they have pre-established relationships with workers from other territories:

  • Fiji
  • Kiribati
  • Nauru
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Samoa
  • Solomon Islands
  • Tonga
  • Tuvalu
  • Vanuatu

New Zealand has visa application centers in 40 locations, according to Immigration New Zealand. Locations include Asia, Europe, China, America, Australia, and the South Pacific.

In Oceania, New Zealand has visa application centers in several territories as well, among them the following: Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Samoa.

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