The immigration impact of criminal charges on non-citizens in New Zealand

The immigration impact of criminal charges on non-citizens Most lawyers will have clients who have recently arrived in New Zealand, many of whom will not have obtained citizenship. Others will have family and friends who are non-citizens and who come up against issues involving their status or potential status in New Zealand, arising out of … Read more

Lapsing visitor visas during the pandemic

Higgs and Witbrock v Minister of Immigration [2022] NZHC 1333 On 8 June 2022 the High Court at Auckland ruled that the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act was not breached when the Minister of Immigration lapsed various visitor visa applications where partners of New Zealand citizens were involved. During the Covid-19 pandemic Immigration New … Read more

New Zealand’s New Investor Residence Category

Active Investor Plus category: 11 August 2022 On 20 July the New Zealand Government announced that the Investor 1 and Investor 2 categories would close. Applications in process would be accepted only until 27 July. Applications that have already been lodged and are waiting in the queue will continue to be processed under the existing … Read more

High Court rules against Immigration

High Court declares refusal to consider offshore residence visa applications unlawful. In a paper dated 15 July 2020, I pointed out that the suspension of offshore residence visa applications by Immigration New Zealand was unlawful. It offended against a very basic principle, stretching back to the Magna Carta, that once a statutory application is filed … Read more