Refugees

Refugee Family Quota

The objective of the Refugee Family Quota is to help the successful resettlement of refugees resident in New Zealand by providing them with an opportunity to sponsor family members, who with the exception of the Family Quota category, do not qualify for residence under any other category. The Quota size is announced each year. Last year it was 300 places.

The registration period for the Refugee Family Quota takes place during one month of the year – (usually October). A sponsor can register their parent, grandparent, adult child, grandchild, adult sibling, uncle, aunt niece or nephew, but, they can only register one person (who will be called the principal applicant) and their partner and dependent children (if they have any).

Registrations are accepted from sponsors wishing to sponsor family members for residence and applications to fill the number of places are drawn by ballot following the close of the registration period.

Some sponsors get priority in the Quota. "Priority sponsors" are alone in New Zealand (i.e. no other family members in New Zealand) or here with only dependent children. Also, they must not have any other family member who is eligible for New Zealand residence under any other category (except the Family Quota category). If the number of applicants and dependents included in registrations lodged by priority sponsors are more than the number of places offered under the Refugee Family Quota only registrations from priority sponsors will be submitted to the ballot.

Key criteria

• The principal applicant must not be eligible for residence under any other category (except the Family Quota Category).
• The applicant must be sponsored by a family member who was granted New Zealand residence on the basis of their status as a refugee and is living permanently in New Zealand.
• If successful in the draw, a residence application must be made within 6 months of the NZIS's advice to their sponsor that the sponsor's registration has been drawn from the Refugee Family Quota pool.

Important information about registrations

If a registration form includes more than one principal applicant, that registration form will not be accepted. Each potential applicant can be included in only one registration. If a potential applicant is included in two or more registrations within one registration period, the second and subsequent registration forms will not be accepted.

Only one success in the Refugee Family Quota is allowed. Once a person has sponsored a family member who has obtained residence in New Zealand under Refugee Family Quota category, they cannot use this policy again. Please contact the NZIS or your local community law centre for further information on the Refugee Family Quota. For a list of NZIS branches and their contact details see www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/contactus/.

Refugees in New Zealand

General information on refugees in New Zealand may be found on the RMS Refugee Resettlement website. See http://www.rms.org.nz/refugees-and-nz.html.

UNHCR Quota Refugees

Annually New Zealand accepts 750 refugees through the UNHCR Quota programme. This Quota is distinct from the Family Quota and Refugee Family Quota and should not be confused with those NZIS policies. For more information on the UNHCR Quota programme see: http://www.rms.org.nz/quota-programme.html.

Refugee Status ("Asylum seekers")

For information about claiming refugee status in New Zealand see: http://www.govt.nz/record?recordid=606. For further information contact the NZIS on (0508) 55 88 55 or your local community law centre.

Legal aid is available for people who have claimed refugee status in New Zealand. If you intend to claim refugee status in New Zealand contact your local community law centre for the names of lawyers who practice in this area. For information on appealing a decision of the Refugee Status Branch see http://www.nzrefugeeappeals.govt.nz/http://www.nzrefugeeappeals.govt.nz/