A related notice was published on 23 September 2020, Notice No. 2020-go4469.

Notice Type
Departmental
Notice Title

Special Direction—Extension of Visas Held By a Class of Employer-Assisted Workers who are in New Zealand on 10 July 2020 to Manage Effects and Deal with Consequences of Measures Taken to Contain or Mitigate the Outbreak of COVID-19 or its Effects

Under section 78A of the Immigration Act 2009 (“Act”), by special direction, I extend the visas held by the following class of people:

Every person who is in New Zealand on 10 July 2020 and who holds a temporary work visa with an expiry date (or an event or period based expiry), as recorded in accordance with section 62(2)(c) of the Act, of 10 July to 31 December 2020 (inclusive), where that visa:

  1. was granted under a category of immigration instructions specified in the Schedule to this special direction; or
  2. was granted under section 61 of the Act, and that visa has the condition that the holder may only work for a specified employer.

For the avoidance of doubt, visas that expire in accordance with section 63(2) of the Act are not included.

Their visas are extended for a period of six months from the date on which they would otherwise expire (for example, if a visa has the recorded expiry date of 31 December 2020, it will be extended to 30 June 2021 and expire on the beginning of 1 July 2021).

I am satisfied that the making of this special direction is reasonably necessary to manage the effects, or deal with the consequences of, measures taken under the Act or any other enactment to contain or mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19 or its effects. This special direction manages the short to medium-term effects on the labour market as a result of COVID-19, by allowing flexibility in immigration settings which mitigate the difficulty of recruiting adequate labour and skills while the border is closed.

This special direction expires on 31 December 2020 unless revoked earlier.

Dated this 6th day of July 2020.

Hon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY, Minister of Immigration.