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MARINE

Draw date is set for Pacific Immigration Quota

Department of Labour

Thursday 9 June 2011, 9:22AM

By Department of Labour

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Applications for the annual immigration quota for 1,100 Samoan, 250 Tongan, 75 Tuvalu and 75 Kiribati citizens wanting to move to New Zealand will be drawn this Friday 10 June in a computerised ballot system.

Immigration New Zealand Regional Manager Pacific/Americas, Alan Barry, says 7,132 registration applications received this year under the Samoan and Pacific Access Category quota as compared to 9,584 in last year’s ballot.

Mr Barry says those successful in the ballots are invited to apply for residence in New Zealand if they obtain a satisfactory job offer in New Zealand and meet other immigration requirements.

The result of the draw will be announced and published in local media the first week of July.

The Samoa Quota ballot will be drawn at the New Zealand High Commission Office in Apia and the Pacific Access Category quota will be drawn at the Immigration New Zealand Manukau branch in Westfield Plaza.

The Pacific quota provides an opportunity for citizens of the Samoa and the Pacific Access Category nations to migrate permanently to New Zealand.