Visa Character Requirements for Applicants
If you are applying for a visa, you must be of good character and not pose a potential security risk.
If any person included in the application fails to meet the necessary character requirements, and the character requirements are not: waived, special direction is not granted, or the discretion available to grant a visa is not applied, your application may be declined.
What are examples of not meeting character requirements?
- Having criminal convictions, even if these have expired in the home country.
- Arrests and investigations still pending.
- Providing misleading information to Immigration New Zealand.
- Withholding relevant information from Immigration New Zealand – in some cases this applies even if there was no intention to mislead.
- Failing to update Immigration New Zealand of changed circumstances.
- Past overstaying, or deportation action from any country.
- Migrant exploitation.
Support partners (“sponsors”) who have ever had family violence convictions or protection orders against them, or have breached sponsorship requirements.
This is not an exhaustive list!
Who is covered?
These rules apply to every family member included in an application. They apply to visa free applicants, who just need to apply for an electronic travel authority. If you have a character issue you will need to apply for a visa.
Will I be told?
Immigration New Zealand will put these concerns to you if you are an onshore applicant or a resident applicant. They may move straight to decline your application if you are applying offshore for a temporary visa.
In some cases, a character waiver – depending on how serious the offence or issue is, how long ago it happened, how many breaches and other circumstances may be available. We can advise whether this applies to you.
Character requirements for visa holders
Temporary and residence visa holders may face deportation if they are found at any time to have misled Immigration New Zealand or to have withheld (aka forgotten to mention) relevant information.
They may also face deportation for some imprisonable offences. The rules can be complex – ask us for details. Most of those on lawful visas have appeal rights.
How Pacific Legal can Help
If you do not meet the character requirements, we can assist you with a request for:
- A character waiver; if allowed or
- Special direction.
Each case will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
We need to request your file to see what Immigration New Zealand have said behind the scenes. This takes about 20 working days. We can ask for timeframes to be extended.
Don’t leave it too late to ask for help!
Character checks: do you need to provide a police certificate?
Character checks must be carried out for the following categories of applicants:
- If you are aged 17 and over applying for residence class visas; and
- If you are aged 17 and over applying for temporary entry class visas who intend to stay in New Zealand for 24 months or longer; and
- other applicants for temporary entry class visas who require a character check if the immigration officer decides it is necessary.
First-time applicants
If you are a first-time applicant (17 and over) for a residence class visa, it is a mandatory requirement to obtain a police or similar certificate from:
- Your country of citizenship; and
- Each country you have lived in for 12 months or more (whether on one visit or intermittently) in the last 10 years.
Further resident visas – Permanent resident visas
If you are applying for a permanent resident visa, you will not usually need to submit a police or similar certificate unless Immigration New Zealand requests it.
Temporary entry-class visas
If you are applying for a temporary entry class visa, and it is required (for example if your total stay will be 2 years or more) you must obtain a police or similar certificate from your country of citizenship and from any country where you have lived for five or more years (whether on one visit or intermittently) since attaining the age of 17 years.
Contact us!
Character issues can be complex. We have many years of experience dealing with these issues at all levels. Contact our office to see contact our office to see if we can assist.
NB:
Our ability to help will also depend on the seriousness of the offence and the amount of time that we have to respond.
Immigration instructions and rules regularly change and applied differently in every case. The above general information was up to date as of February 2025.
Talk to Pacific Legal Today
Contact us today to speak to one of our Immigration Lawyers
If you have any questions or wish assistance with the Immigration Character Requirements, get in touch with us. Our friendly team have decades of experience and are available to assist.
