- History of New Zealand law
- How do I legally obtain New Zealand citizenship?
- Naturalization in New Zealand
- Benefits of getting a New Zealand passport
The desire for changes in life is characteristic of every person, many people love to travel. A much smaller number of citizens think about changing their place of residence, and only a few people are thinking about obtaining citizenship of some distant exotic country. But it is still interesting how to obtain citizenship of New Zealand, a state that remains a big mystery to Europeans.
History of New Zealand law
First, let's turn to the history of the origin and formation of the institution of New Zealand citizenship. An important date in chronology is January 1, 1949, it was from that day that the country's first law on citizenship came into force, before that the inhabitants of the islands were considered British subjects, in terms of civil rights they obeyed British laws.
The new Citizenship Act was passed in 1977 and came into force in 1978. In 2005, quite serious amendments were made to it, which were caused by a change in the political situation in the world.
How do I legally obtain New Zealand citizenship?
In accordance with the Citizenship Act, the following grounds for acquiring citizenship exist in New Zealand: by birth (land right); by origin, in other words "the right of blood"; naturalization. Each of the grounds mentioned in New Zealand law has its own characteristics. For example, citizenship by birth is automatically granted to the person who was born in this state before 2006, regardless of the citizenship of the parents. Children born later can obtain a New Zealand passport only if their parents are: full citizens of New Zealand; residents of New Zealand, including Australian citizens. It is clear that the right to land does not apply to children of diplomats, other representatives of embassies and consulates.
It will be especially difficult for potential applicants for New Zealand citizenship who would like to obtain it on the basis of "origin". Because here you need to take into account different features: year of birth, citizenship of parents, ways of obtaining citizenship by them, etc. An important note, if a person received citizenship by descent, then his children can no longer use this method, they have the opportunity to become a full member of New Zealand society only by naturalization.
Naturalization in New Zealand
Two main conditions are imposed on immigrants who are potential applicants for New Zealand citizenship - residency qualification and resident status. The meaning of the first term, "residency qualification", is, in principle, known to anyone who wants to obtain citizenship of a particular country. The term means that you need to live in the country for a certain time, for New Zealand, the period of uninterrupted residence is 5 years.
The cost of residence may be reduced for certain categories of persons, for example, for residents of the state of Samoa. The period of residence in New Zealand is not important for future citizens who were born from 1949 to 1977, and outside the country, from a mother who has New Zealand citizenship. The status of a resident of New Zealand is also understandable; any person who has received a permanent residence in this country has it.
New Zealand citizenship law also has other requirements for potential citizenship applicants. Firstly, a written confirmation of consent to live and work in this country, and secondly, a demonstration of the level of knowledge of the language (knowledge of English is required in New Zealand), a demonstration of integration into the local society, respect for the Constitution, understanding of the rights and duties of a citizen.
Benefits of getting a New Zealand passport
At first glance, it seems that there is not much difference between whether a person is a resident or a citizen of the state of New Zealand. But upon closer examination, it turns out that the advantages of obtaining a citizen's passport are many. First, a person gets the right to live in one of the best (according to different ratings) countries on the planet. Secondly, a New Zealand passport makes it possible to feel absolutely calm not only on the islands, but also in neighboring Australia. Thirdly, the holder of a passport has the right to take part in elections of the most different levels, to nominate himself to any government body, with the exception of parliament.
A New Zealand passport is an opportunity to move freely around the world without applying for visas to more than 100 countries of the planet. You can buy land and do business, travel to Japan, the USA and other countries, stay in them for up to three months without applying for visa documents. And the last point - New Zealand recognizes the institution of dual citizenship, so you can keep the passport issued by the previous place of residence.
