New Zealand is considered one of the most comfortable countries to live in. This is facilitated by an actively growing economy, vast opportunities for development and excellent ecology. Romantics often think about how to obtain New Zealand citizenship. After all, this republic is located on an island and is washed by the Pacific Ocean on all sides.
New Zealand Laws: Who Can Become a Citizen
Local legislation is quite loyal to migrants and offers equal opportunities to immigrants from all countries of the world.
The main requirements for visitors:
- Compliance with the Constitution of the country;
- Integration into the National Society;
- Behavior that is safe for others.
In addition, newly minted New Zealand citizens must be prepared to defend the country in the event of hostilities.
According to immigration law, the following can join the ranks of New Zealand citizens:
- Residents who have lived in the country for at least 5 years legally;
- Children born of the union of two local citizens or a migrant and a native New Zealander;
- Citizens who were born in Zealand, but were later forced to leave the country.
A resident of Australia is also eligible to obtain local citizen status. An agreement has been signed between these continents, according to which an Australian can obtain a New Zealand passport under a simplified scheme and vice versa.
Who will not be able to obtain citizenship
New Zealand special services are involved in checking each potential citizen. They do not give any chance to settle in the country for persons who:
- Were participants in terrorist acts or armed attacks;
- Do not respect local laws or are hostile to the country;
- Openly call on others to manifest fascism, totalitarianism, nationalism and other hostile behavior;
- They belong to the special services of another state or are employees of a foreign army.
Ways to Obtain New Zealand Citizenship
You May Also Like
The authorities offer 3 legal ways to obtain New Zealand citizenship:
- By birth;
- By origin;
- Through standard naturalization.
In turn, each method is divided into categories of applicants and grounds for crossing the border.
Citizenship by birth
People who were born automatically receive the status of a New Zealand citizen:
- In New Zealand;
- On the islands of Tokelau, Niue, Cook.
Moreover, the citizenship of the parents does not matter: the child could have been born from both citizens of the country, from migrants or from the union of a migrant with a local resident.
This rule applies only to those born from 1949 to 2005 After 2005 Years the law has changed: now only a person, one of whose parents was a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand, will receive automatic citizenship. The status is assigned based on the birth certificate.
By origin
A citizen by descent can be a person who was born outside New Zealand. In this case, one of the parents or both must have the status of a New Zealand citizen. It can also be obtained by origin or by order of delivery.
Citizenship by naturalization
The most popular way to become a citizenship holder for those who do not have New Zealand roots. To implement it, you must have lived in the country for at least 5 years as a resident. That is, to begin with, acquire a temporary residence permit, and then a permanent one.
A residence permit as the first step to citizenship can be obtained on the following grounds:
- Conclusion of an employment contract with a local employer;
- Marriage with a New Zealand citizen;
- Start of a profitable business;
- Admission to a local university.
You May Also Like
Is it possible to obtain dual citizenship
The country's immigration law does not prohibit second citizenship. That is, a Russian does not have to give up his original citizenship in order to obtain a New Zealand passport. At the same time, with a local passport, you can visit hundreds of countries, including the closest Australia.
Algorithm for obtaining New Zealand citizenship
The step-by-step algorithm for obtaining local citizenship looks like this:
- The foreigner receives a visa and crosses the border of New Zealand with it. The type of visa depends on the purpose of entering the country;
- Before the expiration of the visa, submit paperwork for opening a residence permit. To do this, you need to determine in advance the reason for obtaining permission and prepare all the papers;
- Stay in the country for at least 5 years. At the same time, you cannot commit criminal offenses and leave New Zealand for a long time;
- Submit an application for the opening of citizenship, having previously collected all the necessary documents.
This procedure is relevant for citizens of Russia and other states who intend to obtain citizenship on a general basis. As a rule, these are the majority of migrants. Only a few units have access to the automatic assignment of citizenship by birth.
Documents for obtaining citizenship
An application for granting citizenship is accompanied by the following documents:
- National passport along with copies of all completed pages;
- Foreign passport;
- Residence permit and permanent residence cards to prove legal stay in the country;
- Police clearance certificate for the last 5 years;
- Photographs 35x45 mm on a white background. 4 photos are required;
- Birth certificate (for minors);
- A document certifying that the applicant has paid taxes properly in New Zealand. Issued by the local tax office;
- Medical certificate proving the absence of dangerous diseases;
- Proof of housing (contract for the purchase or lease of real estate);
- Certificate of employment or other proof of income.
The main package of securities can be supplemented by others, the list of which depends on the purpose of being in the country. So, when uniting with relatives, you will need a marriage or birth certificate, and for a businessman - documents on opening a company and proof of its profitability.
Important! All documents are accompanied by a translation into English. Higher education diplomas obtained in universities of the CIS countries require compulsory nostrification.
Interview
Before applying for citizenship, the migrant will be asked to participate in an interview. It usually lasts no more than two hours.
An applicant for citizenship is obliged to confirm his knowledge regarding:
- Local history and geography;
- Country laws;
- Biographies and names of dignitaries;
- Significant symbols of New Zealand.
The interview is considered passed if the migrant answered 70% of the questions correctly. Otherwise, the candidate is invited to take the exam again, but only 3 months after the failure. You can interview an unlimited number of times.
Important! Migrants over 65 years of age, as well as refugees and their family members, may not be interviewed. Large investors are also exempted from exams.
Proof of language proficiency
New Zealand's national language is English. An applicant for citizenship must have it on a conversational level. An indicator of a good level is the ability to talk with shop assistants, health workers, rescuers and utilities.
In order to prove the language proficiency at a decent level, the migrant must provide one of the following documents:
- Certificate of completion of training in English-language courses, at the university, technical school, English school;
- A document from the employer that proves knowledge of the language;
- Results of exams or tests for English proficiency;
- IELTS certificate.
In rare cases, language proficiency can be checked by talking on the phone or in the office in the process of communicating with the Citizenship Service. If the examining officer finds out that the migrant does not speak English well enough, the applicant may be invited for a second examination at least six months later.
Requirements for a future citizen
In addition to language proficiency, there are a number of other requirements that are key when approving citizenship. This:
- Excellent health. Before opening permanent residence, the applicant will have to undergo a full medical examination. Every potential citizen must receive a conclusion on the state of health, with the exception of only children under 12 years of age and pregnant women;
- Age. New Zealand citizenship not by birthright can only be obtained adults under 50 years of age;
- No previous convictions. Applicants, as well as their family members, are subject to security checks. Citizenship will be denied if there is a criminal record.
New Zealand Citizenship Process
After all the documents have been collected and the tests passed, the applicant comes to the New Zealand Department of Home Affairs. There he submits all certificates with test results and personal documents.
Further, officials must thoroughly check all the proposed papers, check the applicant himself and his family members. Additional papers may be requested if necessary.
Cost and terms of registration
Consideration of an application for citizenship takes on average 2-3 weeks... The response from the Department of the Interior comes to the applicant in about a month. When applying, the migrant must pay a state fee in New Zealand dollars.
The amount depends on the category of the migrant:
- 105 - to obtain citizenship by birthright;
- 295 - citizenship by origin;
- 470 - registration of citizenship on general terms.
Why they can refuse and what to do
The New Zealand government rarely refuses to grant citizenship, and only on good grounds.
Thus, a migrant may be refused without the opportunity to appeal the decision if:
- He provided false information about himself or attached false documents;
- Fraudulent activities were noticed during the status registration process;
- The applicant committed crimes in other countries, which he did not mention during the interview;
- During his permanent residence, the applicant committed a criminal offense in New Zealand;
- Unlawful receipt of income was identified, or the applicant was unable to confirm financial viability.
If citizenship has been refused, the applicant will be handed a written confirmation of this with a detailed description of the reasons. He may be allowed to reapply. In case of a final refusal without the opportunity to re-submit the papers, the candidate has the right to appeal this decision within 4 months after receiving the answer.
In case of a positive response to the application, the newly-made citizen is invited to take the oath. This is a solemn ceremony, following which the New Zealander will be awarded a certificate. On its basis, he will subsequently receive a passport.
New Zealand is the ideal destination for those seeking a comfortable life and beautiful nature. Although this country is inferior in terms of living standards to the more developed USA, Germany and Canada, for many citizens of the Russian Federation it is becoming a desirable place for permanent residence. At the same time, local authorities here are more loyal to visitors and gladly accept them into their citizenship.
