ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
As the anxiety within the ethnic migrant community continues to build up with the government’s prioritisation of allowing different segments of foreign visitors into the country, it has been revealed that 1260 Indian parents and grandparents of people living in New Zealand will still have valid visas that can allow them to enter the country in the fourth phase of border opening in May 2022.
A spokesperson of Immigration New Zealand revealed this to Indian Weekender in response to a query about the number of valid visas held by Indian passport holders who could potentially enter the country in the fourth phase of border opening.
Notably, the government had announced with much fanfare a few weeks ago that potentially 570,000 visitor visa holders, with existing valid visas will be able to potentially enter NZ in the fourth step of border opening in May.
China leads the list of people from different countries with valid NZ visitor visas with a whopping 462, 830, while India is at eighth position with a total of 8732 number of people with valid visitor visas.
This list of valid visitor visas who will potentially be eligible to enter NZ in July does not include General Visitor Visa based on Relationship - a visa given to individuals seeking a partnership visa but not able to demonstrate "living together" experience, largely due to cultural traditions.
Unlike the above mentioned General Visitor Visa based on Relationship (GVV) which is issued with a short time-span of six months to one year, the multiple entry visitor visas issued on the basis of being a parent or grandparent or business visas have a longer shelf life of 3-5 years.
This explains why GVVs issued to some newly married couples around Feb-March 2020, who did not qualify for the Partnership visas and entry into NZ's closed borders for the two-year period of pandemic, whereas these visitor visas, including parent/grandparent visas have outlived the two years of border closure.
2763 Indians have valid business visas and can enter NZ in May.
As the anxiety within the ethnic migrant community continues to build up with the government’s prioritisation of allowing different segments of foreign visitors into the country, it has been revealed that 1260 Indian parents and grandparents of people living in New Zealand will still have valid...
As the anxiety within the ethnic migrant community continues to build up with the government’s prioritisation of allowing different segments of foreign visitors into the country, it has been revealed that 1260 Indian parents and grandparents of people living in New Zealand will still have valid visas that can allow them to enter the country in the fourth phase of border opening in May 2022.
A spokesperson of Immigration New Zealand revealed this to Indian Weekender in response to a query about the number of valid visas held by Indian passport holders who could potentially enter the country in the fourth phase of border opening.
Notably, the government had announced with much fanfare a few weeks ago that potentially 570,000 visitor visa holders, with existing valid visas will be able to potentially enter NZ in the fourth step of border opening in May.
China leads the list of people from different countries with valid NZ visitor visas with a whopping 462, 830, while India is at eighth position with a total of 8732 number of people with valid visitor visas.
This list of valid visitor visas who will potentially be eligible to enter NZ in July does not include General Visitor Visa based on Relationship - a visa given to individuals seeking a partnership visa but not able to demonstrate "living together" experience, largely due to cultural traditions.
Unlike the above mentioned General Visitor Visa based on Relationship (GVV) which is issued with a short time-span of six months to one year, the multiple entry visitor visas issued on the basis of being a parent or grandparent or business visas have a longer shelf life of 3-5 years.
This explains why GVVs issued to some newly married couples around Feb-March 2020, who did not qualify for the Partnership visas and entry into NZ's closed borders for the two-year period of pandemic, whereas these visitor visas, including parent/grandparent visas have outlived the two years of border closure.
2763 Indians have valid business visas and can enter NZ in May.
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