These two categories are re-opening in October 2022
Samoan Quota, Pacific Access Category reopening
The Samoan Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) resident visas will reopen in October. People with these visas will be able to live, work and study in New Zealand.
The PAC and SQ resident visa schemes were suspended when New Zealand’s international border closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unused ballot places from 2020 and 2021 have been reallocated over future years.
Samoan Quota
Registration for the ballot for SQ visas will reopen on 3 October 2022. The registration period closes at 1700 (NZ Standard Time) on 2 November 2022.
The maximum number of registrations available each year:
1,650 Samoan citizens each year from 2022 to 2025
1,100 Samoan citizens each year from 2026 onwards.
Pacific Access Category
Registration for the ballot for PAC visas will reopen on 5 October 2022. The registration period closes at 1700 (NZ Standard Time) on 4 November 2022.
The maximum number of registrations available for 2022 and 2023:
500 Fijian citizens each year
150 Kiribati citizens each year
500 Tongan citizens each year
150 Tuvaluan citizens each year.
The maximum number of registrations available for 2024 onwards:
250 Fijian citizens each year
75 Kiribati citizens each year
250 Tongan citizens each year
75 Tuvaluan citizens each year.