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New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS)

The New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) is the government body in charge of managing the flow of migrants and visitors to New Zealand. They process applications for people looking to visit, work, study, or live permanently in New Zealand.

New Zealand Government

New Zealand government has three branches: the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. Power is divided between these three branches with each performing their own role, although in some instances their jurisdiction powers converge.

New Zealand has a single chamber of Parliament known as the House of Representatives.

The principal functions of Parliament are to:

• Enact laws;
• Provide a government;
• Supervise the government's administration;
• Allocate funding for government agencies and services; and
• Redress grievances by way of petition.

There are also a number of smaller regional or local government bodies who carry out functions relating more specifically to the community they reside in.

Voting in New Zealand

Voting in New Zealand is not compulsory, although you are required by law to be registered on the Parliamentary Electoral Role so that you can choose to vote if you want to.

You are eligible to vote if:

• You are 18 years or older;
• You are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident; and
• You have lived in New Zealand for 1 year or more without leaving the country.