New Zealand Announces 4 Countries Whose Citizens Can Join its Military Without Citizenship
- The New Zealand government published eligibility criteria for overseas applicants who want to join its armed forces
- Citizens of four specific countries can apply, with conditions tied to citizenship duration, residency, and military service history
- Successful overseas applicants must obtain New Zealand Permanent Residency before they can legally live and work in the country
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New Zealand has named four countries whose citizens are eligible to apply for careers in its armed forces, according to guidance published by the New Zealand Defence Careers website.
The official eligibility criteria outline the conditions that overseas applicants must meet before submitting an application.
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New Zealand military: List of eligible countries
The countries listed are:
1. The United Kingdom.
2. Australia.
3. The United States of America.
4. Canada.
New Zealand military: Who qualifies to apply
Applicants from these countries can be considered under one of two main conditions. The first covers individuals who are currently serving in the armed forces of the UK, Australia, the USA, or Canada and are eligible for release from that service within 18 months of applying.
The second covers citizens of any of the four listed countries who have held that citizenship for at least 10 years, or who have lived in New Zealand for a minimum of five continuous years.
Beyond nationality and residency, applicants must also meet the vacancy and rank requirements in place at the time of application.
The New Zealand Defence Careers body stressed that eligibility results must be included in the application at the point of registration.
New Zealand military: Residency requirement for successful applicants
One key condition applies to all overseas applicants who are offered a position: it is their personal responsibility to secure New Zealand Permanent Residency before they can legally live and work in the country. This requirement is separate from the application process itself and must be fulfilled independently by the successful candidate.
The criteria do not specify a deadline for obtaining Permanent Residency, but the obligation falls entirely on the applicant once an offer has been extended.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the New Zealand Defence Force had opened military careers to foreign residents.
New Zealand's work visa for foreigners with partners in military
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that New Zealand had published a special work visa for foreigners whose partners are in the military.
The Partner of Military Work Visa allows eligible foreign applicants to join their partner in New Zealand for the full duration of the military posting without needing to secure a job offer before arriving in the country.
Holders of the Partner of Military Work Visa are permitted to work freely in New Zealand and may also study for up to three months.
Source: Legit.ng
