The payout for staying silent!
Permanent residence for people affected by the Christchurch terrorist attacks
Permanent residence for people affected by the Christchurch terrorist attacks Tuesday, 23 April 2019
People directly affected by the terrorist attacks in Christchurch and their families can now apply for permanent residence in New Zealand if they want to.
A humanitarian response
A special visa category, Christchurch Response (2019) has been created to let people directly affected by the terrorist attacks at the Masjid Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch on 15 March stay permanently in New Zealand.
This new visa category recognises the impact of the tragedy on the lives of those most affected, and gives people currently on temporary and resident visas some certainty about their immigration status in New Zealand.
Who can apply
People living in New Zealand who were present at one of the mosques and their immediate family based in New Zealand can get this visa. Because of the special circumstances, the definition of immediate family has been expanded to include a wider circle of family members.
People in New Zealand for only a short time cannot apply — for example people visiting for tourism, sport or business.
What family means
For adults present during the attacks, family includes:
their partner
dependent children
parents
their partner’s parents.
For children under 25 years old, family includes:
their parents
grandparents, and
brothers and sisters.
When applications open
Affected people and their families can apply from 24 April. The application process depends on the type of visa they hold — that is a temporary or a resident visa.