Refugee Family Support Category sponsorship extended to qualifying Afghan interpreters and accompanying family

Policy effect

From December 7, 2015, Refugee Family Support Category sponsor eligibility included New Zealand citizens or residents granted residence as Afghan interpreters, or as partners or dependent children who accompanied those interpreters to New Zealand, subject to the other sponsorship requirements. The interpreter provision covered people who had worked with the New Zealand Defence Force, Police or Special Air Service in Afghanistan and received residence from the Minister as an exception to instructions under section 72(3) of the Immigration Act 2009.

Conditions and exceptions

Validated condition or limit: From December 7, 2015, Refugee Family Support Category sponsor eligibility included New Zealand citizens or residents granted residence as Afghan interpreters, or as partners or dependent children who accompanied those interpreters to New Zealand, subject to the other sponsorship requirements.; The interpreter provision covered people who had worked with the New Zealand Defence Force, Police or Special Air Service in Afghanistan and received residence from the Minister as an exception to instructions under section 72(3) of the Immigration Act 2009.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

… accordance with the amended instructions on and after 1 January 2016. Note The amendments described in this circular will be published in the Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual in due course. Any enquiries about these amendments should be directed to the Immigration Contact Centre on 0508 558 855 or 09 914 4100 (Auckland only). Changes to residence instructions effective on and after 7 December 2015 S4.10 Refugee Family Support Category Afghan interpreters, their partners and dependent children are now eligible sponsors under these instructions SM3.15 Selection of Expressions of Intere … eted General Medical Certificate (INZ 1007); and ii. a completed Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096) (except for pregnant women and children under the age of 11). e. Unless A4.20(d) applies, the General Medical Certificate (INZ 1007) and Chest X-Ray Certificate (INZ 1096) must have been issued less than three months before the date they are received by an immigration officer. S4.10.15 Eligible sponsors under RFSC See also Immigration Act 2009, s 48 a. For the purpose of RFSC, an 'eligible sponsor' is a New Zealand citizen or resident who: i. was granted a residence class visa in New Zealand on … the basis of their status as a refugee or protected person or as an Afghan interpreter, or as a partner or dependent child of an Afghan interpreter who accompanied them to New Zealand; and ii. has not sponsored any other principal applicant who has obtained a resident visa in New Zealand under RFSC (or Refugee Family Quota); and iii. is in New Zealand; and iv. is aged 18 years or over; and v. be an acceptable sponsor as set out at R4.5, except for the requirements at R4.5(d)(ii) and (iii). b. Sponsors aged 18 to 24 must be able to satisfy an immigration officer that they are able to meet the u … ndertakings given in the sponsorship form. c. For the purposes of these instructions, people granted residence on the basis of being an Afghan interpreter are people who have worked with the New Zealand Defence Force, the New Zealand Police or the New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS) in Afghanistan and were granted a residence class visa by the Minister of Immigration as an exception to instructions under section 72(3) of the Immigration Act 2009. S4.10.20 Two tier registration system for sponsors a. Registrations from tier one sponsors (see (e) below) will be given first access to available … 30 November 2015 IMMIGRATION NEW ZEALAND INSTRUCTIONS: Amendment Circular No. 2015/10 To: All Manual Holders AMENDMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION NEW ZEALAND OPERATIONAL MANUAL Introduction This circular outlines changes to immigration instructions. A copy of the amended instructions is attached. All immigration officers dealing with immigration applications should read the amendments in Appendix 1 and operate in accordance with the amended instructions on and after 7 December 2015. All immigration officers dealing with immigration applications should read the amendments in Appendix 2 and operate in …

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

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