Every visa applicant must meet New Zealand’s character requirements. If those requirements are not met, a visa can only be granted if Immigration New Zealand agrees to waive the character requirement.
While character concerns can significantly affect an application, a well-prepared waiver request can, in certain circumstances, allow Immigration New Zealand to exercise discretion and continue with visa assessment.
You may require a character waiver if you:
Have criminal convictions or pending charges
Have previously overstayed or breached visa conditions
Provided false, misleading, or incomplete information in a past or current visa application
Withheld information from Immigration New Zealand
In these situations, a visa cannot usually be granted unless a character waiver is approved.
When assessing a character waiver request, Immigration New Zealand considers the overall context of the case, including:
The seriousness and nature of the offence or issue
The circumstances surrounding the event
The length of time since the incident occurred
Whether there is evidence of rehabilitation or positive behavioural change
The applicant’s conduct and credibility since the incident
The significance and intent behind any false or misleading information previously provided
Each case is assessed individually, and decisions are discretionary.
New Zealand convictions may be covered by the Clean Slate Scheme.If an applicant is eligible under the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004:
They are not required to disclose eligible New Zealand convictions
Immigration officers cannot request or require disclosure of those convictions
Information already held by Immigration New Zealand relating to clean slate convictions cannot be used to assess character
If an applicant voluntarily discloses convictions covered by the Clean Slate Scheme, that information may then be considered.
Depending on the circumstances, a character waiver request may include:
Court or police records
Character references from employers, family, or community members
Evidence of stable employment, study, or community involvement
A personal statement addressing responsibility, insight, and changed behaviour
Evidence of rehabilitation, where applicable
Character waiver cases carry a higher level of risk. Poor explanations and weak submissions can result in a refusal and may affect future visa options.
At Unite Immigration, we focus on:
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