New ZealandCulture, faith and volunteering
Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.
The pathway is for a religious worker who has held a Religious Worker Work Visa for at least 3 years.
have had a Religious Worker Work Visa for at least 3 years
The applicant must be sponsored by a religious organisation registered as a charity and have an ongoing work offer.
be sponsored by a religious organisation that is registered as a charity, and have an offer of work from them
have an offer of ongoing work from your sponsor
Proof includes a 'Sponsorship Form for Religious Workers' completed by the sponsor and a written statement from the sponsor on how the work will continue to serve its religious aims; an employment agreement if the offered work is paid by salary or wages, or a description of the work if paid otherwise or unpaid; and evidence of at least 5 years' religious training and/or work experience (such as testimonials, ordination documents, a CV and documents showing relevant religious work experience). INZ also checks its records and the passport for the current Religious Worker Work Visa and first arrival on it.
As evidence of your sponsorship, you must provide: a 'Sponsorship Form for Religious Workers' completed by your sponsor a written statement from your sponsor explaining how your will continue to serve their religious aims.
If the work you have been offered is paid salary or wages, you must provide a copy of an employment agreement.
If the work you have been offered is paid by any means other than salary or wages or is unpaid, then you must provide a description of that work.
You must have at least 5 years' religious training and/or work experience. Evidence may include: testimonials from people in your religious community documents that show you have been ordained your curriculum vitae or résumé documents that show you have got experience doing religious work that is relevant to your religious work in New Zealand
We will check our records and your passport for evidence: that you have a current Religious Worker Work Visa of when you first arrived in New Zealand on your Religious Worker Work Visa.
The religious work may be paid by salary or wages (an employment agreement is required), paid by other means, or unpaid (a description of the work is required). The sponsoring religious organisation must be able to provide accommodation and financial support if needed, for 5 years after the resident visa is granted. For those 5 years, the person may only do the specific religious work for the specific sponsoring organisation in the specific location; after that they can work in any employment for any employer. A variation of conditions can allow religious work for another religious organisation.
If the work you have been offered is paid salary or wages, you must provide a copy of an employment agreement.
If the work you have been offered is paid by any means other than salary or wages or is unpaid, then you must provide a description of that work.
that can meet the requirements for acceptable sponsors for a period of 5 years after your resident visa is granted, including having the ability to provide you with accommodation and financial support if you need it
For 5 years from your first day as a resident in New Zealand, you can only do the specific religious work, for the specific sponsoring religious organisation, in the specific location detailed in the employment agreement and/or job description that was the basis for us to grant your resident visa.
After that, you can work in any employment for any employer.
You can apply for a variation of conditions to allow you to do religious work for another religious organisation, if:
The resident visa is indefinite. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger may be included if minimum income requirements are met or the religious organisation also sponsors them. A variation of conditions can allow religious work for another religious organisation.
A Religious Worker Resident Visa lets you stay in New Zealand indefinitely.
include your partner, and dependent children aged 24 and younger, in your visa application — if you meet the minimum income requirements, or your religious organisation agrees to sponsor them too.
If the work you have been offered is paid salary or wages, you must provide a copy of an employment agreement.
If the work you have been offered is paid by any means other than salary or wages or is unpaid, then you must provide a description of that work.
that can meet the requirements for acceptable sponsors for a period of 5 years after your resident visa is granted, including having the ability to provide you with accommodation and financial support if you need it
For 5 years from your first day as a resident in New Zealand, you can only do the specific religious work, for the specific sponsoring religious organisation, in the specific location detailed in the employment agreement and/or job description that was the basis for us to grant your resident visa.
After that, you can work in any employment for any employer.
You can apply for a variation of conditions to allow you to do religious work for another religious organisation, if:
These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.
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Not legal advice. No eligibility verdict or ranking. Check the linked sources before applying.