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Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category Ballots

Both are annual ballots. The 2026 Samoan Quota had 1,100 places and the Pacific Access Category 650 (250 Fiji, 250 Tonga, 75 Kiribati, 75 Tuvalu). INZ shows 2026 registrations as closed and says 2027 reopening dates will be announced in 2027.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) runs two ballots that can lead to residence for citizens of five Pacific countries. INZ's page describes the reason: "New Zealand has a special relationship with the Pacific countries of Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. To recognise this, we run two ballots that can lead to residence for some citizens from these countries." The Samoan Quota Resident Visa is for citizens of Samoa. The Pacific Access Category Resident Visa is for citizens of Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga and Tuvalu.

A ballot is a draw, not an application. A person first registers, then INZ draws registration numbers, and only people who are drawn and who meet the requirements are invited to apply for the visa. This article explains how that works as INZ publishes it: the numbers of places, who can register, what the visa requires once invited, the fees INZ shows, the deadlines that apply after an invitation, and what INZ says about the next ballot.

It does not tell anyone whether they should register or whether their job offer meets the rules. Those questions turn on individual facts, and a licensed immigration adviser can assess them. All details were read from INZ on 10 October 2026.

Places in the 2026 ballots

For 2026, INZ's pages give these numbers.

  • Samoan Quota: 1,100 places. INZ's ballot results page says: "There were 1,100 places available in the 2026 Samoan Quota."
  • Pacific Access Category: 650 places in total, set as "ballot places for 250 Fijian citizens, 75 Kiribati citizens, 250 Tongan citizens and 75 Tuvaluan citizens."

INZ explains what a place means: "Places available means how many people can be granted residence, not how many registrations will be drawn from the ballot. Ballots can include more than 1 person. For example, if family members are included in a registration each family member will use a space from the quota." A registration can therefore contain a family, and each person counts against the quota.

Registrations for both 2026 ballots are shown on INZ's pages as closed. INZ's ballot results pages say the same for anyone not drawn. The Samoan Quota page says: "You can register again in 2027 when registrations for the Samoan Quota ballot reopen. We will announce the reopening date in 2027." The Pacific Access Category page uses the same wording for its own ballot. INZ has not published a 2027 date on the pages read. A reader planning for 2027 should check INZ's Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category pages for an announcement and not rely on the dates of previous years.

Who can register

The ballot requirements on INZ's pages are similar for both. To register for the Samoan Quota a person must:

  • be a citizen of Samoa
  • be aged 18 to 45
  • have been born in Samoa or have a parent who was born in Samoa
  • be located in Samoa or legally in New Zealand when registering online.

For the Pacific Access Category the same requirements apply with citizenship of Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga or Tuvalu, birth in the country of citizenship or a parent born there, and being "located overseas or legally in New Zealand when you register online."

INZ checks age against the closing of the ballot: "You must be aged 18 to 45 (younger than 46) when the registration for the ballot closes." It confirms age from the birth certificate. A registration needs an email address or a mobile phone number, and a partner and dependent children must be included in the registration if they are to be included in a later visa application. INZ's Samoan Quota page says: "You must have included them in your ballot registration." Dependent children included can be aged 24 or younger.

INZ says: "There are no fees to register for the ballot." The registration asks for a copy of the passport or certificate of identity and, where family are included, their birth certificates. A medical examination, chest X-ray and police certificates are not needed at the registration stage. INZ says those are only needed if the person is invited to apply.

After the draw: results and the 8-month window

After registering, INZ sends a ballot number by text or email. After the ballot closes, INZ puts the results on its website, and a person checks by entering their ballot number. INZ explains that the search is by number only: "You cannot search by your name or other personal details."

If a registration is listed, INZ says it will contact the person with instructions on how to apply. The Samoan Quota page adds: "If you are selected from the ballot and you meet the requirements, we will email you an invitation to apply with further information." There is a deadline: "You have 8 months to complete your application for a Samoan Quota Resident Visa from the date of your invitation." INZ's hub page says the latest date for submitting the application "will be shown on your invitation to apply". The Pacific Access page uses the same 8-month structure.

If a person is not drawn, or does not apply within 8 months of an invitation, INZ says they "can register for the ballot again next year, as long as you still meet the requirements."

INZ makes one process change for Samoan Quota applicants: "From 7 September 2026, Samoan Quota Resident Visa applicants will submit their paper applications, supporting documents and application fee directly to the Apia Visa Application Centre." INZ Apia continues to assess and decide applications, and the change affects how applications and documents are received.

What the visa requires once invited

A drawn registration is not a visa. INZ lists what the applicant must show when applying:

  • meet the ballot requirements and hold an invitation to apply
  • have a job offer, or have a partner with a job offer, for work of at least 12 months
  • earn enough money between the applicant and partner
  • be in good health and of good character
  • have a genuine relationship with a partner and dependent children, if they are included
  • speak and understand English.

The job offer needs to be current, for 12 months or more, with evidence of the offer, job description, employment agreement and any registration needed for the job. INZ says: "We cannot give you a visa if your employer is on the list of employers on stand-down, maintained by the Labour Inspectorate."

For income, INZ's pages say: "If you are including dependent children, you will need to earn at least NZD $55,404.96 each year." If both partners have job offers they can combine the money, and "Only 1 job needs to be for full-time work." If no children are included, the person must be paid at least the New Zealand minimum wage. INZ notes: "Each year we review the 'minimum income', which is how much money you will need to earn to apply."

On English, INZ says a person "must speak, read and understand English" and that "we might test your English by talking to you about yourself, your family and your background." Health needs a chest X-ray and a medical examination. Character needs police certificates less than 6 months old for anyone aged 17 or older, from countries of citizenship and countries where the person spent 12 months or more over the last 10 years.

Fees and processing time

The numbers INZ shows differ by place and need care.

On the Samoan Quota page INZ shows "From NZD $820". INZ's fee finder, queried on 10 October 2026 for a Samoan passport, showed no fee for the ballot registration stage and an application cost for the visa stage. When the finder was queried with residence in New Zealand it returned NZD 820. With residence in Samoa it returned NZD 1,315. In both cases it noted that citizens of Samoa are exempt from the immigration levy for resident visa applications and that the fee stated does not include a levy. The finder also showed a processing time of "80% within 21 months". Because the amount changes with where the applicant lives, read the finder with the right country, and treat the 21-month figure as an INZ estimate that may not match experience.

On the Pacific Access Category page INZ shows "From NZD $1389". The finder did not return a result for that visa when queried, so check the INZ page and finder before paying.

INZ says application costs are not refunded if it declines an application. The applicant also pays for a medical examination, chest X-ray, police certificates and translations, and INZ adds that these results must be recent: "Evidence of a chest X-ray or medical examination must be less than 3 months old when we receive it", and police certificates "must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application."

After holding the visa for 2 years in a row, INZ says a person "can apply for a Permanent Resident Visa", and the visa lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.

Who can give advice about this

INZ's Samoan Quota page includes a reminder: "You can fill out the application yourself or ask someone to help you. There are rules about giving immigration advice. Therefore it is important that the person you ask is allowed to help you." That follows New Zealand law: giving immigration advice generally requires a licence from the Immigration Advisers Authority, or an exemption.

Two things are worth knowing about the ballot context. First, registering costs nothing and INZ publishes guides in English and Samoan for the online registration. Second, INZ's published rule is that a person asked to help with an application must be allowed to give immigration advice. Our guide to checking an adviser's licence explains how to confirm that.

Questions about whether a job offer meets the requirements, how a family should be included in a registration, or what to do after a decline, are about a person's own facts. A licensed immigration adviser can assess them, and the directory lists licensed advisers.

Questions people ask

When does the Samoan Quota ballot open in 2027?

INZ has not published a date on the pages read on 10 October 2026. INZ's ballot results page says people can register again in 2027 and that the reopening date will be announced in 2027. Check INZ's Samoan Quota page for the announcement.

How many places are in the Pacific Access Category?

INZ says each year there are ballot places for 250 Fijian citizens, 75 Kiribati citizens, 250 Tongan citizens and 75 Tuvaluan citizens, 650 in total. Places count people, so family members included in a registration each use a place.

How old can I be to register for the Samoan Quota?

INZ says 18 to 45, meaning younger than 46 when registration for the ballot closes. The Pacific Access Category uses the same age range.

Does it cost anything to enter the ballot?

INZ says there are no fees to register for the ballot. The visa application fee is paid only after an invitation to apply.

How long do I have to apply after I am drawn?

INZ says 8 months from the date of the invitation to apply. If a person is not drawn, or does not apply in time, they can register again the following year if they still meet the requirements.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • NZ Visa Medicals and Chest X-Rays: Who Needs Them — INZ's rules turn on length of stay, visa type and time spent in countries without a low incidence of tuberculosis. Residence applicants need both an X-ray and a medical; results must be no more than 3 months old when INZ receives the application. Read from INZ on 10 October 2026.
  • English Requirements for NZ Resident Visas — INZ sets different English standards by visa. Skilled residence visas need the higher standard (IELTS 6.5 overall for the main applicant), the Parent Resident Visa a lower one (IELTS 5), and the Accredited Employer Work Visa applies English rules only at skill levels 3 to 5. Read from INZ on 10 October 2026.
  • NZ Permanent Resident Visa: The 2-Year Rules and Five Commitment Tests — The Permanent Resident Visa is for people who have held a resident visa for at least 2 years in a row and can show commitment to New Zealand in one of five set ways, of which the 184-days-a-year test is only one. INZ showed NZD 315 and 80% within 2 weeks on 9 October 2026.
  • Dependent Child Resident Visa NZ: How the Rules Work — The Dependent Child Resident Visa lets a New Zealand citizen or resident bring a single, dependent child aged 24 or younger to live in New Zealand. INZ showed NZD 3,230 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026; the child's resident visa carries the same section 49 conditions as the parent's.
  • Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa: How It Works — The Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa is for people whose partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident and who have lived with that partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months. INZ showed NZD 5,360 and 80% of applications completed within 7 months on 9 October 2026.
  • NZ Immigration Changes 2026: A Dated Timeline — This is a dated list of 2026 changes announced by INZ or Govt.nz, in order of effective date. Each entry says whether it is in force or still to come. Nothing here is a proposal unless it is labelled that way. Read on 10 October 2026.