New tougher New Zealand visa rules introduced by New Zealand immigration

New Zealand, 19th October: New Zealand immigration has revamped New Zealand visa rules by introducing several restrictions on those seeking New Zealand visas.

This seems to one of the major shake-up in the rules for New Zealand immigration in the past 20 years.

And among the visas getting most affected by these recent changes in the New Zealand immigration rules include New Zealand spouse visas and New Zealand family visas.

From November 29 2010 onwards, a new Immigration Act will take the place of the 1987 act.

So, as per new rules to come into effect from next month, all sponsors of temporary foreign migrants will have a direct responsibility for various costs of the visitors including deportation expenses, medical and food expenses and all other expenses hitherto covered by the New Zealand government.  

Till now, any failed sponsor cases meant a big debt on the New Zealand government, Immigration New Zealand stated. And the debt, although, could be recovered, however, a third party did not have the power to recover it, the agency maintained.

So, if huge money was owed by any visitor to New Zealand towards the district health board, the board did not hold the power to get such costs back, Immigration New Zealand said.

As per the new rules of New Zealand immigration, onus falls on the sponsor to pay all the costs in case any visitor failed to pay. In case, the visitor leaves New Zealand without clearing all his debts, then it’s the sponsor who will be asked to pay off such costs in full, the immigration agency maintained.

Also, businesses, organizations and government agencies in New Zealand will be allowed to offer sponsorship to individuals. The sponsors will be required to pay accommodation, maintenance and repatriation costs till the visitor remains in New Zealand.

Some of the other changes in the New Zealand immigration rules will ease legislations on schools giving admission to foreign students illegally in New Zealand.

Children staying in New Zealand unlawfully – like overstaying their New Zealand visas- will be allowed to attend schools in New Zealand.

New rules by New Zealand mean dropping of terms like ‘exemption’ and ‘permits’ while only visas will get issued or waived.