Who can travel to New Zealand at this time?

COVID-19 has turned everything upside down – especially travel and emigration to New Zealand. Those who can travel to New Zealand include critical health and disability workers and “other critical workers”.

1. Critical health and disability workers 

This category includes the likes of:

• Registered health practitioners as set out in the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003
  Internationally qualified nurses
• Paramedics and ambulance workers
• Technical and support staff working in theatres, laboratories, nuclear medicine and so on and installers, operators, and maintenance of medical equipment.
• Mental health and related services such as addiction, aged care, palliative and hospice care, and forensic health.
• It does not include support roles that are indirectly associated with the delivery of health and disability services or corporate functions.

As always, there are some provisos, for example:

• Be prepared to provide proof of your qualifications or registration.
• A genuine dependent partner or children can also be included in your request.

2. Other critical workers

“Other critical workers” can only travel to New Zealand on approval of requests made by employers. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must fall into one of the following categories:

• Short term critical workers (less than 6 months in total) need to have unique experience or specialist skills that are not readily obtainable in New Zealand.
  Alternatively, they need to be part of a time-critical undertaking where the absence of the short term critical worker will halt or severely compromise the project resulting in significant costs. This includes projects like a government-approved major infrastructure project, an approved government-to-government agreement, or a programme that brings substantial benefit to the national or regional economy.
• Long term critical workers (six months or longer) need to fulfil one of the criteria for short term workers and also more specific criteria regarding salary and high paid positions, the support of the Science, Innovation, and International Branch at MBIE, or an essential role in a government-approved event, programme, or major infrastructure project.
• Approved classes of workers are nominated by authorised government agencies or industry groups.
  The Tri-Nations Migration team are the best emigration advisers to provide you with assistance when emigrating to Australia or New Zealand. Contact us for clarification on who can travel to New Zealand at this time.