Trafficking Victim Resident Visa

This visa is for people who have been trafficked into New Zealand. You can apply for this visa if you are in New Zealand and already have a Trafficking Victim Work, Student or Visitor Visa.

Length of stay

Indefinitely

Cost

NZD $0

Processing time
is a
high priority
With this visa you can
  • Live, work and study in New Zealand.
Things to note
  • You must hold a trafficking victim work, student or visitor visa to be granted this resident visa.
  • You do not have to pay a fee to apply for this visa.
  • You must be in New Zealand and unable to return home to be granted this visa.

What you need to apply

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

View All Evidence

Acceptable photos

Tips

You may provide your original passport or a certified copy when you submit your application. If you provide a certified copy, we may request your original passport to complete your application.

We may ask you to have a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

If you are staying less than:

  • 6 months you do not normally need a chest X-ray. 
  • 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate. 

Who needs an X-ray or medical examination

When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest X-ray or medical examination.

Acceptable standard of health criteria for visa approvals

Provide medical certificates if requested

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

Good character for temporary visas

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

Providing police certificates

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us police certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

Tips

If you provide a police certificate that is not in English, you must provide an English translation.

This includes police certificates that record no convictions.

If police certificates are not available from your home country, you must provide a separate statutory declaration in both English and your own language (if it is not English). These must:

  • detail your attempts to obtain a police certificate
  • say whether you and any accompanying family members have been found guilty of offences against the law of your home country
  • be supported by any other information confirming your character.

You must have made a people trafficking report and after it was assessed by New Zealand Police you were certified as a victim of people trafficking.

Report people trafficking

We will check that you are certified as a victim of people trafficking. You must provide evidence of certification when you apply.

We will check with New Zealand Police that you have not obstructed the investigation during the validity of your trafficking victim work, student or visitor visa.

You do not need to provide evidence of this when you apply.

Tips

If you were under 18 when you were identified as a victim of people trafficking you do not need certification from Police that you have not obstructed the investigation.

Provide evidence that due to being trafficked you cannot return home because you would be:

  • endangered, or
  • at risk of being re-victimised, or
  • at risk of suffering significant social stigma and financial hardship.

We will use our records to check you are still here.

Process and costs

The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for this visa, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.

1
You send us your visa application

Complete a resident visa application form (INZ 1000) and send it to us with your supporting documents.

We will check that you are certified as a victim of people trafficking. You must provide evidence of certification in your application.

Residence Guide (INZ 1002) PDF 434KB
 Residence Application (INZ 1000) PDF 1MB
Immigration costs

Application cost – There is no fee.

2
We make a decision on your application

If there is anything else you need to do, we will be in touch.

You must hold a valid visa while you are in New Zealand. If your current temporary visa expires before we make a decision on your residence application, you should apply for a further trafficking victim work, student or visitor visa.

Interim visas are not granted to people who have only made an application for a residence class visa.

Interim Visa

Timeframes - Processing
is a high priority

You must apply for this visa in New Zealand. This visa is a priority for us.

How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

How to apply

Postal address

Immigration New Zealand
PO Box 76895
Manukau City
Auckland 2241
New Zealand

Courier address

Immigration NZ
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061
New Zealand

Conditions

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Travel

You can travel in and out of New Zealand as often as you like until your travel conditions expire — normally 2 years from the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident.

Alert

If you are outside New Zealand when your travel conditions expire, your visa will expire as well.

 

To travel in and out of New Zealand after your travel conditions expire, you need to apply for:

  • a variation to your travel conditions, or
  • a Permanent Resident Visa.

Extending the travel conditions of a resident visa

Resident to permanent resident

Notes

Your travel conditions will expire 2 years from the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident. Your visa label and approval letter will detail the date that your travel conditions expire.

If you are outside of New Zealand when your travel conditions expire, your visa will expire as well.

Keep your visa in a valid passport

If you want to travel, your visa must be in a valid passport.

If your passport expires, you must apply to transfer your visa to a new passport before you can travel.

Transferring my visa to a new passport

Work

You can work in any occupation for any employer in New Zealand.

Study

You can study in New Zealand.