Updated border reopening plan announced

Updated border reopening plan announced

It was announced today that the New Zealand border will reopen to vaccinated Kiwis and other current eligible travellers from Australia at 11.59pm on 27 February 2022 and to vaccinated Kiwis in the rest of the world on 13 March 2022.

The requirement for these groups to stay in MIQ will be removed, and replaced with a self-isolation period of 10 days. MIQ requirements will remain for the unvaccinated.

The five-step border reopening plan will allow more families to reunite, sectors and employers to access more skilled workers from offshore, business travel and international events to resume, and more international students to return to New Zealand.

**Steps for the border reopening plan**
STEP	TIMING	TRAVELLERS
STEP 1	From 11.59pm, Sunday 27 February 2022	Reopen to New Zealanders and other eligible travellers under current border settings (e.g. people with border exceptions) from Australia
STEP 2	From 11:59 pm, Sunday 13 March 2022	Reopen to New Zealanders and other eligible travellers under current border settings from the rest of the world Open to skilled critical workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage Open to Working Holiday Scheme visas
STEP 3	From 11:59 pm, Tuesday 12 April 2022	Open to current offshore temporary work and student visa holders, who can still meet the relevant visa requirements, Open to up to 5000 international students for semester two Further class exceptions for critical workforces that do not meet the 1.5 times the median wage test will be considered
STEP 4	By July 2022	Open to anyone from Australia Open for visa-waiver travel The Accredited Employer Work Visa will open, meaning the skilled and health worker border exception can be phased out Temporary visitor visa holders who are outside New Zealand, as long as they meet their visa requirements
STEP 5	October 2022	Border fully reopens for all other New Zealand visa holders, including visitor and student visas, unless the visa is closed or paused.