Pacific Access Category Resident Visa
If you are from Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga or Tuvalu you can register for this ballot to come to New Zealand. If we select and accept your registration, we invite you to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa.
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Length of stay
Live, work and study
indefinitely
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Cost
From
NZD $1389
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Age range
18 to 45 years
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Visas available
For the 2025 ballot
650
To apply you must:
- be a citizen of Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga or Tuvalu and aged 18 to 45
- have a job offer, or have a partner with a job offer
- earn enough money from the job to support you and your family in New Zealand
- be able to read, write and speak English
- meet the other requirements of this visa.
This visa lets you:
- live, work and study in New Zealand
- include your partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger, in your visa application. You must have included them in your ballot registration.
Each year there are ballot places for 250 Fijian citizens, 75 Kiribati citizens, 250 Tongan citizens and 75 Tuvaluan citizens. You must register for the ballot.
Pacific Access Category and Samoan Quota online registration
If your registration is selected and you meet the requirements, you will be invited to apply for the visa. We send you instructions about how to apply.
Plan ahead so you can pay for the ballot registration and visa application, organise a job and move to New Zealand.
Moving from the Pacific Islands
The Pacific Access Category ballot is closed. It reopens on 1 April 2026 (New Zealand Daylight Time).
The 2025 successful ballot numbers were announced in May 2025.
Registrations for the 2025 Pacific Access Category ballot are closed.
How long you can stay
A Pacific Access Category Resident Visa lets you stay in New Zealand indefinitely. Check the 'While you are in New Zealand' travel section for more information.
After you have had this visa for 2 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. It lets you travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely. Check what the visa requirements are.
Who can apply
Ballot requirements
To register for the ballot for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, you must:
- be a citizen of Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga or Tuvalu
- aged 18 to 45
- have been born in your country of citizenship or have a parent who was born in that country
- be located overseas or legally in New Zealand when you register online.
Check 'Register for the ballot' in the section How to apply.
Applying for the visa
To apply for the Access Category Resident Visa, you must:
- meet the ballot requirements and have an invitation to apply
- have a job offer, or your partner must have a job offer, for
work for at least 12 months - earn enough money between you and your partner
- be in good health
- be of good character
- have a genuine relationship with your partner and dependent children, if including them
- must speak and understand English
- meet the location and the other requirements of this visa.
The following sections explain what is needed for the visa, and the ballot when required.
Age
Ballot requirements
You must be aged 18 to 45 (younger than 46) when the registration for the ballot closes.
We check your birth certificate to confirm your age.
Citizenship
You must be a citizen of Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga or Tuvalu.
If you are invited to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, you will need to provide a valid passport from your country of citizenship.
Country of birth
Ballot requirement
You must have been born in your country of citizenship or have a parent who was born in that country.
You must provide your
If you were born outside of your country of citizenship, we might ask for the following documents about your parent:
- their
, and - their passport or
showing they share your country of citizenship.
Location when you apply
Ballot requirements
When you register for the online ballot, you must be located:
- overseas, or
- legally in New Zealand.
Visa requirements
You must apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa either while:
- in your country of citizenship, or
- in New Zealand on a valid temporary visa.
Citizens of Kiribati and Tuvalu can also apply from Fiji.
Evidence to prove where you are living could include:
- letters sent to your home address
- references from your employer.
Current job offer
You or your partner must have an acceptable job offer.
If you are invited to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, you must provide evidence of a current offer of
Evidence must include
- job offer
- job description
- employment agreement
- registration, if you need to be registered to do the job.
We cannot give you a visa if your employer is on the list of employers on stand-down, maintained by the Labour Inspectorate.
Also check our stand-down list.
Learn more about employee rights on the Employment New Zealand website.
Earn enough money
If you are including dependent children, you will need to earn at least NZD $55,404.96 each year.
If both you and your partner have job offers, you can combine the money from both jobs. The jobs must meet the job offer requirements. Only 1 job needs to be for full-time work.
If you are invited to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, you will need to provide evidence, such as your or your partner's employment agreement.
Note
Each year we review the 'minimum income', which is how much money you will need to earn to apply.
Health
Ballot requirement
You must be in good health. You do not need to have an X-ray or medical examination until you are invited to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa.
Visa requirements
You must have a chest X-ray and a medical examination as proof of your good health.
Note
Children younger than 11 and pregnant women do not need to have a chest X-ray unless a special report is needed.
Character
Ballot requirement
You must be of good character. You do not need to provide any police certificates until you are invited to apply for residence.
Visa requirements
You must provide police certificates that are less than 6 months old when you apply, if you are aged 17 or older.
You must get police certificates from:
- countries you are a citizen of, and
- countries where you have spent 12 months or more in, over the last 10 years — even if those 12 months were not all in 1 stay.
Police certificates must show any criminal records you have had at any time in any of these countries — not only in the last 10 years.
If we ask for a new police certificate when processing your application, you will need to send us a new one.
If you have a criminal conviction, or are a security risk to New Zealand, we might not give you a visa.
English language
You must speak, read and understand English.
If invited to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, we might test your English by talking to you about yourself, your family and your background.
You will need to be able to read and answer questions in English.
Partner and dependent children
Ballot requirements
If you include your
Visa requirements
If invited to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, you must provide evidence:
- of your relationship with your partner and dependent children
- of their identity
- that they meet the health and character requirements for this visa.
Documents you need
When you register for the ballot
When you register for the ballot, you need to provide:
- a copy of your
- copies of the birth certificates for your partner and dependent children, if you are including them.
When you apply for your Pacific Access Category Resident Visa
If you are invited to apply for the visa, we will give you a visa application form.
You will need to provide:
- a copy of your passport or
- 1 acceptable photo
- evidence of a chest X-ray
- evidence of a medical examination
- a police certificate or certificates
- proof that you are in your country of citizenship or New Zealand when you apply
- evidence you have an acceptable job offer, or your partner has a job offer
- evidence you and your partner earn enough money
- documents to show your relationship with your partner and dependent children, proof of their identity and acceptable photos, if you are including them
- translated versions of all your documents that are not in English.
If we require your physical passport, check our guidance about providing your physical passport in the section 'Providing your passport for an online application'.
After you apply
After you apply, we might contact you and ask for:
- your original passport or
- more evidence of your ability to speak and understand English, or
- your parent's full birth certificate, if you were born outside your country of citizenship.
How to apply
Follow these steps to register for the ballot and complete your visa application form, if you are invited to apply.
Note
An application containing all the documents we need will prevent delays with processing.
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Step 1: Register for the ballot
To register for the ballot you must have an email address or a mobile phone number.
Complete your registration for the ballot online. If you have a partner or dependent children, you must include them in your registration.
You can use our guides to help you. They are available in English and other languages.
Find guides on the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa
Check the 'How to pay and submit' section for fees.
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Step 2: Wait for the ballot results
After you register, we will send you a text or email with your ballot number.
After the ballot has closed and we have the results, we will put them on our website.
Pacific Access Category Resident Visa ballot results
If you are selected from the ballot and you meet the requirements, we will email you an invitation to apply with further information.
You have 8 months to complete your application for a Pacific Access Category Resident Visa from the date of your invitation.
Reapplying for the ballot
If you are not selected, or you do not apply within 8 months of your invitation to apply, you can register for the ballot again next year, as long as you still meet the requirements.
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Step 3: Gather your documents, if you are invited to apply
The previous section 'Who can apply' explains the information and documents you need to gather to apply for this visa.
Get documents translated
For your application you must provide:
- certified English translations of any documents that are not in English, and
- copies of the original documents.
Documents must be translated by someone who meets our requirements for providing English translations.
Check our guidance about paper-based applications in the section on Acceptable photos for a visa or NZeTA.
Organise proof of identity, citizenship and age
If you or anyone included your application needs a new passport, allow enough time to get it.
When you apply, make sure you enter your identity details exactly as they appear on your passport or certificate of identity.
Warning
If there are any mistakes in your identity details, your application will be delayed. We might also decline your application or refuse you entry to New Zealand.
Make sure your photos are also acceptable for a New Zealand visa.
Organise proof for your partner and dependent children, if required
If you are including your partner and dependent children in your application, get documents that show your relationship with them and proof of their identity.
Book medical appointments, if required
If you have determined you, and your family if included, need chest X-rays or medical examinations, you will need to book appointments.
To complete your application, you will need to provide the
reference code from the clinic submitting your health information. If there is no eMedical reference code, provide:
- the name of the clinic submitting your health information, or
- a medical certificate, chest X-ray certificate, or both if the clinic gave these to you.
For more information, check 'If you do not have your NZER or NZHR' in the section Finding your eMedical and INZ health case reference numbers.
Finding your eMedical and INZ health case reference numbers.
Note
Evidence of a chest X-ray or medical examination must be less than 3 months old when we receive it. Allow yourself enough time to get these.
Apply for police certificates, if required
Check what you will need to include for a Pacific Access Category Resident Visa.
If you or anyone included in your application needs a police certificate, you must provide them with your application.
Use the tool to find out how to get police certificates from different countries.
Note
Your police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. Allow yourself enough time to get these certificates.
Organise proof of location
Get documents that show where you are living, such as letters sent to your home address and references from your employer.
Organise evidence of your job offer
Get documents from your employer that show your job offer is
for 12 months or more, and that you have registration for the job, if required. Organise proof you will earn enough money
If children are included in your application
The minimum income requirements apply if you are bringing children.
You must get employment agreements or other documents to show that you and your partner will earn at least NZD $53,515.28 between you each year.
Note
We review minimum incomes amounts each year. Check back for updates while you are planning your visa application.
If no children are included in your application
If no children are included in your application you will need to be paid at least the New Zealand minimum wage.
You must get employment agreements or other documents to show that you, and your partner if included, will earn at least NZD $54,133.04 between you each year.
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Step 4: Submit your application and pay the fee
You must submit your application and pay the fee within 8 months of receiving your invitation to apply.
You can fill out the application yourself or ask someone to help you. There are rules about giving immigration advice. Therefore it is important that the person you ask is allowed to help you.
Who can give immigration advice
Check the 'How to pay and submit' section for fees.
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Step 5: Wait for our decision
We will let you know if we need more information to process your application.
We will email you when we make a decision.
To find out more, check the section 'If you applied using a paper form' on the 'Checking your visa status' page.
Checking your visa application status
Check the section 'How to pay and submit' for timeframes.
If we approve your application, we will give you an eVisa and email you a copy.
Note
If you are already in New Zealand, you must have a valid visa. Check if your current visa will expire while you are waiting for our decision on your Pacific Access Category Resident Visa application.
Find out how to check your visa expiry date before it expires,
If you stay in New Zealand after your visa expires
If it will expire, we recommend you also:
- apply for a new temporary visa to work, study or visit, or
- leave New Zealand on or before the expiry date.
When you apply for a temporary visa, we can give you an Interim Visa if you are eligible. This will let you stay in New Zealand lawfully. Check what you need to be considered for an Interim Visa.
Check the 'While you are in New Zealand' section to find out what you can and cannot do when you come to New Zealand.
How to pay and submit
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When you get your visa
You must come to New Zealand within 3 months of when we give you your visa. Your partner and children must come to New Zealand within 12 months.
Your visa is valid from:
- the date you enter New Zealand, if you are outside New Zealand when we approve your application, or
- the date you get your visa, if you are already in New Zealand.
When you arrive
Entry requirements
As part of New Zealand’s entry requirements, everyone must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). This form collects information about your travel, including customs, immigration, and biosecurity details.
When you can submit your NZTD depends on how you are travelling:
- By air: You can submit it from 24 hours before your journey begins.
- By sea: You can submit it from 24 hours before your ship leaves its last overseas port heading to New Zealand.
If you have an NZeTA, you can specify in your declaration that you are applying for a visa on arrival.
A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.
New Zealand Traveller Declaration
New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.
Alert
You can be refused entry permission if you:
- do not meet our character requirements
- have had a change in circumstances since we issued your visa
- refuse to let us take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan.
While you are in New Zealand
Your visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.
Your Pacific Access Category Resident Visa allows you to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.
Travel
You can travel in and out of New Zealand as many times as you like until your travel conditions expire.
Your travel conditions expire 2 years from:
- the date you first arrive in New Zealand as a resident, or
- the date your visa is given, if you are already in New Zealand.
To travel after that, you need to:
- get a Permanent Resident Visa, or
- extend your travel conditions, which would let you return to New Zealand at a later date.
Check or change your resident visa conditions
With a Permanent Resident Visa, you can travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely, as long as you keep your visa in a valid passport.
If your passport expires, you must apply to transfer your visa to a new passport before you can travel.
Transferring your visa to a new passport
Alert
If you are outside of New Zealand when your travel conditions expire, your visa will expire as well.
Work
You can work in any job for any employer in New Zealand.
Study
You can study anywhere in New Zealand for any length of time.
Staying longer
Getting a Permanent Resident Visa
After you have had a Pacific Access Category Resident Visa for 2 years in a row, you can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa.
With a Permanent Resident Visa, you can travel in and out of New Zealand indefinitely, as long as you keep your visa in a valid passport.
Getting citizenship
Most people, after 5 years of living in New Zealand as a resident, can apply to get New Zealand citizenship if they meet the requirements. You do not need a Permanent Resident Visa first.