M1 Objective

At a glance

The objective of military visa instructions is to facilitate the entry and presence of visiting force members and crew in New Zealand under specific conditions, as permitted by the Visiting Forces Act 2004. [M1]

Definition

Military visa instructions aim to enable the movement of:

• members of a visiting force, including the civilian component,
• crew members of any craft transporting such people,

provided they are in New Zealand:

1. at the request or with the consent of the Government of New Zealand; and
2. in the ordinary course of the member's duty or employment. [M1]

This is the foundational objective for all subsequent military visa policies.

Application in decisions

Immigration officers assessing applications under military visa instructions must interpret the objective when applying any specific provisions. The objective reminds decision-makers of the privileged status of visiting forces, aligning with New Zealand's international obligations and the Visiting Forces Act 2004. [M1]

Interpretation & edge cases

• "Visiting force": Defined by the Visiting Forces Act 2004, generally encompassing armed forces of another country present in New Zealand with consent. [M1]
• "Civilian component": Employees of a visiting force who are not military personnel but accompany the force. Their inclusion broadens the scope beyond uniformed members. [M1]
• Crew members of any craft: Includes aircrew, ship's crew, and other transport personnel who bring visiting forces to New Zealand. [M1]
• Government request or consent: Without this, the objective does not apply; presence would fall under other visa categories. [M1]
• "Ordinary course of duty or employment": Activities incidental to the purpose of the visit, not private commercial or personal endeavours. [M1]

Citations

• M1 — Objective