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New Zealand to Impose Immigration Obstacles on Prospective Adoptive Parents

Starting September 18, 2025, adoptions carried out by New Zealand citizens and residents abroad will no longer be considered valid for immigration and citizenship matters in accordance with New Zealand law.

Adoptive parents in New Zealand will soon encounter obstacles related to immigration as part of a...
Adoptive parents in New Zealand will soon encounter obstacles related to immigration as part of a policy change

New Zealand to Impose Immigration Obstacles on Prospective Adoptive Parents

New Zealand's updated visa rules have sparked concerns about their potential impact on new and existing visa applications involving adopted children. One of the key changes is that the rules may lead to rejection of new visa applications for adopted children from non-exempt countries based on parent-child relationships with New Zealand citizens or residents. This is because adoptions from non-Hague Convention countries are not eligible for residency or visitor visa applications. However, there is some good news for families who are not New Zealand citizens or residents. The new rules do not affect the residency application process for families who have adopted children from non-exempt countries, nor do they affect the processing of existing visa applications for children from these countries who have already submitted their applications. Moreover, visa applications for holidays to New Zealand can still include children who have been adopted from non-exempt countries, as long as the parents are not New Zealand citizens or residents. The new rules also allow the inclusion of adopted children in certain visa applications, such as residency and visitor visas, for families who are not New Zealand citizens or residents. It is important to note that the countries exempted as exceptions from the new immigration regulations for adopted children are not specified in the available search results. This lack of clarity has contributed to the concerns surrounding the new rules. Lastly, the new rules do not affect the processing of visa applications for holidays to New Zealand or the visitor visa application process for families who are not New Zealand citizens or residents and have adopted children from non-exempt countries, as long as they are not applying for residency or seeking to become New Zealand citizens or residents. These changes in visa rules have raised questions and concerns among those affected, and it is crucial for the authorities to provide clarity and guidance to ensure a smooth and fair process for all parties involved.

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