What is the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa?

Pacific Access Category Resident Visa is issued to citizens of Oceania countries (Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, and Fiji). Of course, for citizens of these countries to receive this visa, they must first register on a ballot. If they are selected, they can apply for a visa. Note that a limited number of these visas are issued annually.

If you want to get Visa Pacific Access Category Resident, follow the paragraphs below.

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What is the Pacific Access category Visa?

People from Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, or Fuji can register in a Ballot and apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa if selected. You can live, work, and study under this visa. Currently, the ballot registrations for this visa have been suspended due to the prevalence of COVID-19. If you are planning to apply for this visa, you must pay attention to the following:

People in the 18-45 age range are allowed to apply for this visa.
A limited number of these visas are issued throughout the year:
- 75 Kiribati citizens,
- 75 Tuvaluan citizens,
- 250 Tongan citizens,
- 250 Fijian citizens.
Your family members can also be included in your visa application, provided you enter them in the ballot registration.
In order to receive this visa, you must have a job offer.
You must be able to read and speak English.

What are the requirements of this visa?

To be able to get the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, one must enrol in a ballot registration. So you must first complete the ‘Pacific Access Category Registration’ form. To complete this form, you need the following documents:
- Copy of birth certificate
If you want to bring your family members to New Zealand under this visa, you must also register them on the ballot and provide a copy of their birth certificates.
No need to send the original birth certificates.
To be eligible for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, you must be between the ages of 18 and 45. So New Zealand Immigration will check your birth certificate.
New Zealand Immigration must invite you to apply for this visa. You should also note that when they invite you, you will have eight months to submit your documents.
To apply, you must first present your identity documents, including a photo, passport, certificate of identity, and birth certificate.
You should do a medical and chest x-ray to prove that you are in good health.
If you are aged 17 or older, you must provide a police certificate to prove your good character. The police certificate is issued by your country of citizenship. Also, a country where you have spent at least 12 months in the last ten years can issue this certificate. Note that you do not need to send this certificate until you have been invited.
To be eligible for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, you must be from:
- Kiribati,
- Tuvalu,
- Tonga,
- and Fiji.

Therefore, you must present a valid passport.

If you were born in the country, you are a citizen of; you need to present your birth certificate. If you were born abroad, you should present your parent’s birth certificate.
You must apply for a visa from your country of citizenship. If you are in New Zealand, you must have a valid temporary visa. In this regard, you can provide any documents that prove where you are living, such as letters sent to your home address.
You must be able to speak English. When you are invited to apply for the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa, the officials will ask you questions in English about you, your family, and your background. This will assess your ability in English.
You need a full-time job offer for at least 12 months. The evidence you need to provide are:
- Job offer
- Job description
- Employment agreement
- Registration, if you need to be registered to do this job.

This job offer can be for you or your partner.

Your family members should also be able to meet health, identity, and character requirements.
You need to have enough income to afford your expenditures in New Zealand. You and your partner must earn at least NZD $38,577.76 per year. You must provide employment agreements to prove your income.

How to apply for Pacific Access Category Resident Visa?

The steps to apply for this visa are:

You must first complete the Pacific Access Category Registration Form. If you plan to bring your family members to New Zealand, you must include them in the application.
If you are selected for ballot registration, New Zealand Immigration may invite you to apply for a visa.
If you are invited, you have eight months to submit your application and complete your documents.
New Zealand Immigration will finally review your documents and make the final decision on granting a visa.

How much do we have to pay to get this visa?

In the first step, you must pay a fee for Registration on Ballot. If you are selected, you must submit your documents to obtain a Pacific Access Category Resident visa. At this stage, you have to pay a fee as a visa application fee. For details on what to pay, visit the New Zealand Immigration website.

What is the processing time of the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa?

You are currently unable to register for Ballot due to COVID-19. Therefore, the processing time of this step is not known. However, if you are chosen, you will have to wait 15 months for your visa application to be processed.

Let’s sum up…

This visa gives citizens of Oceania a chance to stay in New Zealand and enjoy a unique lifestyle. You can apply for this visa if you live in Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, and Fiji. Unfortunately, due to the spread of the Coronavirus, the application for this visa has been closed now, but we will keep you informed about the latest news related to this visa.

You can learn up-to-date information on other New Zealand visas and visas from other countries on the Visa Library website.

If you have already received the Visa Pacific Access Category Resident, you can share it with our other readers through the comment section below. This will help them make better decisions. You can also ask your questions via this section, and we will answer as soon as possible.