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Pathway

New Zealand Samoan Quota Resident Visa

New Zealand Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

The Samoan Quota gives eligible citizens of Samoa a chance to apply for New Zealand residence through an annual random draw. The 2026 ballot is closed. Selection is only the first step: the job, income, English, health, and other requirements still apply.

Age and birthplace
Age 18–45 at registration close, with the required birth or parent-birth link
Places
Up to 1,100 people in 2026
Job offer required?
Yes, for the residence application; the applicant or included partner needs qualifying work

Summary

This is a Pacific residence ballot for eligible Samoan citizens. After ballot selection, the applicant usually needs a qualifying job offer in New Zealand, unless a partner's offer can satisfy the employment requirement.

A successful registration is only an invitation to apply. The applicant still needs a qualifying New Zealand job offer, enough income, English, health, character, and the required location and family evidence.

Applying through the Samoan Quota
  1. Check eligibility for an open annual ballot Confirm citizenship, age, birth link, location, and every family member to include.
  2. If selected, prepare the residence requirements Secure an eligible job offer and the required income and personal records.
  3. Apply within the invitation deadline Normally eight months; selection does not guarantee approval.

The 2026 ballot is closed. Check the official page for future registration dates.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

To register for the ballot, the person registering as the main applicant must:

If selected, the person must apply while in Samoa or lawfully in New Zealand. The main applicant or included partner must hold a current New Zealand job offer for at least 12 months. At least one qualifying job must be full-time, the agreement must comply with New Zealand employment law, and the employer cannot be barred from recruiting migrant workers.

Where dependent children are included, the applicant and partner must currently earn at least NZD 55,404.96 a year between their qualifying jobs. Without dependent children, the job must pay at least the New Zealand minimum wage. The amount is reviewed annually.

The main applicant must read, write, and speak English and meet health and character requirements. A partner and dependent children aged 24 or younger can be included only if they were named in the ballot registration and meet the relationship, health, character, and other family eligibility rules. The residence application is normally due within 8 months of invitation.

What This Route Allows

An approved family receives residence and can live, work, and study indefinitely. The initial resident visa normally allows you to leave and return as a resident for 2 years. A Permanent Resident Visa may be available after 2 years if the requirements are met.

An unsuccessful registrant can normally enter a later annual ballot while still meeting the age and other rules.

What This Route Is Not

Samoan citizenship alone does not create an automatic right to residence under the quota. Planning to register is not the same as having been selected, and selection is not final approval.

This route is also distinct from the special citizenship rules for some Samoan citizens and people born in Western Samoa before 1949. Those citizenship routes do not use the quota ballot.

Next Steps

  1. For a future ballot, confirm Samoan citizenship, age, birth or parent-birth evidence, and registration location.
  2. Include every partner or dependent child who may need residence.
  3. If selected, record the 8-month application deadline.
  4. Secure a job offer that meets the rules and recalculate the required income at the time you apply.
  5. From September 7, 2026, paper applications, documents and fees go directly to the Apia Visa Application Center. Follow the invitation instructions.
  6. Prepare passports, birth and relationship records, proof of location, medicals, police certificates, English evidence, and employment documents.

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