How will Covid-19/Coronavirus impact immigration to New Zealand?

Those who intended to emigrate from South Africa to New Zealand may have to deal with a halt on their plans in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. If you are wondering about when it will be possible once again to make the big move, here are the details that you need to know. 

What precautions have New Zealand taken to curb the spread of Covid-19? 

At midnight on Thursday, March 19th, New Zealand officially closed its borders to all non-New Zealand citizens and non-residents. New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, acknowledged how drastic these measures are, but insisted that they were necessary if the country is to properly manage and contain the outbreak in a timely manner. 

“We need to do this for the health of the country, and our people,” she said. 

When are the borders likely to re-open? 

The borders have been provisionally closed until June 2020; however, they may well open should the global pandemic and the level of risk improve. As such, the New Zealand government will be reviewing the decision to keep the borders closed every 16 days.

What can South Africans do in the mean time?

Our advice is to be ready to travel for job search at relatively short notice once the border re-opens. Due to this, it is worthwhile to meet with the Tri-Nations team to conduct your Job Search Consultation once the South African 21-day lockdown comes to an end. Alternatively, the consultation can also be conducted online. This important consultation will prepare you for your online job search as an interim step prior to leaving for New Zealand to meet with potential employers in person. 

Do not allow the Coronavirus catastrophe to interrupt your job search in any way. Considering the state of the world, it is certain that employers will be more willing to hold interviews remotely, such as via Skype, than they ever have been before. This could work in your favour. 

Be sure to get in touch with Tri Nations Migrations for more information.