Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/27441-application-for-new-zealand-citizenship-under-16-years-old on July 17, 2024 23:39

Application for New Zealand Citizenship under 16 years old

Adam Szokol made this Official Information request to Brooke van Velden

Currently waiting for a response from Brooke van Velden, they must respond promptly and normally no later than (details and exceptions).

From: Adam Szokol

Dear Brooke van Velden,

My name is Adam Szokol, I am 15 years old, and I currently live in Hungary. I have five siblings: Liliana (21 years old), Evelin (19 years old), Szonja (17 years old), as well as Attila (9 years old) and Peter (7 years old).

I am writing to you because I would like to live in New Zealand with my family and obtain New Zealand citizenship. Liliana and Evelin are currently attending university and are located in different parts of the world, so they will not be joining us.

We would like to apply for citizenship for myself, Adam Szokol, Attila, and Peter, with the consent and support of our mother, including her application if necessary.

To get straight to the point, I am able to meet all the requirements except for the residency conditions. I speak English at an advanced level, I have no criminal record, but I have not lived in New Zealand for an extended period.

We have read the current version of the Citizenship Act 1977, which states:
"Grant of citizenship in special cases
(1) Without limiting anything in section 8, the Minister may, upon application in the prescribed manner, authorise the grant of New Zealand citizenship to any person, including a person who may be a New Zealand citizen by descent,—
(a) who has not yet attained the age of 16 years; or
(b) whose father or mother was, at the time of that person’s birth, a New Zealand citizen by descent; or
(c) if the Minister is satisfied that granting a certificate of New Zealand citizenship to the applicant would be in the public interest because of exceptional circumstances of a humanitarian or other nature relating to the applicant; or
(d) if the person would otherwise be stateless.
(2) In considering whether to authorise the grant of New Zealand citizenship to any person under subsection (1), the Minister—
(a) may have regard to such of the requirements of section 8(2) (as subject to section 8(3) to (9)) as the Minister thinks fit; and
(b) must have regard to the requirements of section 9A(1) (but subject to the Minister’s discretion under section 9A(2) and (3))."

Therefore, paragraph 2(a) states that "may have regard to," which leads me to conclude that this is also within the Minister’s discretion. Additionally, paragraph 1(a) states that "Without limiting anything in section 8, the Minister may, upon application in the prescribed manner, authorise the grant of New Zealand citizenship to any person, including a person who may be a New Zealand citizen by descent,—(a) who has not yet attained the age of 16 years; (...)." This implies that it is a special case if neither I nor my siblings have reached the age of 16, but it is not clear how residency is considered in special cases.

I kindly ask for clarification on the circumstances under which the residency requirement might be waived by you, as the Minister.

I hope to hear from you soon, so we can proceed with our citizenship application. We are ready to start our lives as young kiwis and live there permanently.

Yours faithfully,
Adam Szokol

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From: Brooke van Velden (MIN)
Brooke van Velden

Please note this is an automatically generated email. 

  

Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon Brooke van Velden, MP for
Tâmaki, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister for Workplace Relations
and Safety.  

  

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