Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that the ballots for the Pacific Access Category (PAC) Resident Visa and Samoan Quota (SQ) Resident Visa to select who will be invited to apply for residence in New Zealand will be drawn on May 20, 2026. The results will be published by May 29, 2026.
The PAC and SQ residence pathways recognize the special relationship between New Zealand and Samoa and the Pacific Access Category countries of Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji.
This year up to 1,100 Samoan, 250 Tongan, 250 Fijian, 75 Kiribati and 75 Tuvaluan citizens may be invited to apply for residence under each category.
Registrations in the ballot will be drawn to meet these quotas. Ballot registrations can include more than one person, for example, if a family is included under the same registration.
INZ will publish successful registrant reference numbers on the Immigration New Zealand website by May 29, 2026.
INZ will send individuals whose ballots are selected a letter with an invitation to apply, after the reference numbers are published. This letter will include information about how to apply for the resident visa.
Those selected must apply for New Zealand residence within eight months of receiving an invitation to apply.
New income threshold
The minimum income requirement for those applying for residence under PAC and SQ with dependent children will be NZD 55,404.96 per year from April 30, 2026.
This will apply to those who are invited to apply for residence following this ballot draw. This requirement is to ensure that parents can support their dependent children in New Zealand. The income of a secondary applicant partner may also be considered, as long as both applicants have an acceptable offer of employment in New Zealand.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.