How to Navigate the Reimbursement for 2021 Resident Visa Applicants in New Zealand: A Guide for Employees

A step-by-step guide on how to claim your reimbursement from New Zealand's 2021 Resident Visa program.
Written by Yongtian Liu
Last Updated On June 30, 2023
Contributors: Denise Renshaw. Edited By Inder Singh & Reviewed by Simar Singh.

As an employer, it is your duty to guide our employees through various procedures related to their work-life, including immigration matters. Recently, Immigration New Zealand announced a reimbursement program for those of your employees who were asked to get new health screenings during their 2021 Resident Visa application, even though they were not required.

If you were affected by this situation, we're here to provide you with an overview of how you can obtain reimbursement for those extra costs.

Background

In 2021, due to a technical glitch in the Enhanced Immigration Online system, some of our employees applying for a Resident Visa were asked to provide new medical certificates, despite already having valid ones. The issue, acknowledged by Immigration New Zealand, affected numerous applicants and led to additional expenses. A technical solution was finally implemented in July 2022 and to compensate for the inconvenience, a reimbursement program has been launched.

Are You Eligible?

To be eligible for the reimbursement, you must have received a notification from Immigration New Zealand declaring your eligibility. Also, you should have been asked to provide a medical certificate or chest X-ray with your 2021 Resident Visa application, even though you had already provided these documents with an earlier application and they were still valid.

The Process to Apply for Reimbursement

The reimbursement application process is straightforward. You need to fill out the Reimbursement Request Form for Medical Certificates provided by Immigration New Zealand.

What Documents are Required?

The following documents must be included with your application:

  1. Proof of Medical Fee Payment: This must show your name, the payment, and the payment date. You can provide a scanned image, a photo, or a PDF of your receipt, or a screenshot of the online banking page showing the payment.
  2. Authorization to Receive the Reimbursement: This is required only if someone else (a third party) will receive the reimbursement instead of you. The authorization could be an email, document, or written letter showing the date, your name, and signature, and the name of the third party authorized to receive the reimbursement.

Important Deadline

Please note that all reimbursement requests must be submitted by 23:59, 30 September 2023 New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT). We urge you to start the process as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline.

Conclusion

The reimbursement initiative by Immigration New Zealand provides relief to many of our employees who were affected by the technical issue. We encourage all eligible individuals to apply for the reimbursement before the deadline. This step taken by Immigration New Zealand signifies its commitment to fairness and the well-being of visa applicants. As always, we are here to assist you throughout this process. Please reach out to the Human Resources department if you have any further questions or need assistance.