Papua New Guineans visiting New Zealand starting July this year under the Visitor Visa would be eligible for multi-entry and could visit as many times as they want for 24 months.
New Zealand High Commissioner His Excellency Mr Peter Zwart confirmed this announcement by the government during a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Justin Tkatchenko MP.
The new visa waiver will be trailed for 12 months to allow an assessment of its impact.
High Commissioner Zwart said another development was that Papua New Guineans with valid Australian visitor, work, student or family Visas can visit New Zealand only using an electronic travel authority.
He explained that they do not have to apply for a separate New Zealand visa under this new arrangement.
High Commissioner Zwart also added that two new visa categories will soon be announced for those who are under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
The RSE scheme in New Zealand allows employers in horticulture and viticulture industries to hire temporary workers from overseas, particularly from the Pacific Island nations.
The first new category is the Global Workforce Seasonal Visa (GWSV) for higher skilled professions and valid for three years.
And the other is the Surged Capacity Seasonal Visa (SCSV), mainly for seafood and forestry workers and meat processers.
The SCSV is designed to provide a temporary work visa for industries experiencing unexpected surges in seasonal labour needs, particularly those involving in lower-skilled roles.
It complements the Global Workforce Seasons Visa and the RSE Scheme, offering a more flexible option for addressing seasonal labour shortages beyond traditional horticulture and viticulture.
High Commissioner Zwart said this was in response to some of the priorities for Papua New Guinea as requested by the Government.
He also added that New Zealand would be supporting PNG in the 50th Independence Anniversary Celebrations stating: We look forward in our Defence Force contributing in many events in the months of September strengthening our relationship in PNG.”
Minister Tkatchenko said the 50th Independence Anniversary is on target for the events which will include a military week for the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and their partners to participate.
