Ukraine Resident Visa

At a glance

The Ukraine Resident Visa is a residence category for people who hold a 2022 Special Ukraine Visa and arrived in New Zealand by 15 March 2024 [S4.40]. It provides a direct pathway from temporary status under the special Ukraine instructions to permanent residence. The principal applicant must be onshore and holding the temporary visa; family members can be included as secondary applicants even if they did not arrive by that date [S4.40].

How to apply

• Applications must be made on the Ukraine Resident Visa application form (INZ 1382) [S4.40].
• Applications must be lodged on or before 16 March 2026 [S4.40].
• Applications must be made in the prescribed manner (see R2) [S4.40].

Eligibility criteria

• The principal applicant must hold a 2022 Special Ukraine Visa [S4.40].
• The principal applicant must have arrived in New Zealand holding a 2022 Special Ukraine Visa on or before 15 March 2024 [S4.40].
• All applicants (principal and any secondary) must meet the health (A4) and character (A5) requirements for residence [S4.40].
• Secondary applicants (partner, dependent children) do not need to have arrived by the 15 March 2024 deadline; only the principal applicant's arrival is constrained [S4.40].
• A person who was a secondary applicant in a previous 2022 Special Ukraine Visa application can be the principal applicant, provided they arrived in New Zealand by 15 March 2024 [S4.40].

Interpretation & edge cases

• Principal applicant arrival date – The 15 March 2024 arrival deadline is strict for the principal applicant; secondary applicants are exempt [S4.40].
• Application deadline – The 16 March 2026 cutoff is absolute; no late applications can be accepted under these instructions [S4.40].
• Health and character upgrade – Unlike the temporary visa which uses a special health standard, the residence application requires the standard residence health and character checks (A4 and A5). Applicants who met the relaxed temporary-visa health criteria may face additional medical scrutiny for residence [S4.40].
• Former secondary as principal – An applicant who previously held the visa as a secondary family member can become the principal applicant in a new residence application, as long as they arrived by 15 March 2024 [S4.40].

Citations

• S4.40 — Ukraine Resident Visa