You have your Medical Council registration, your job lined up, Critical Purpose Visitor Visa, flights on standby… now just to get a place in managed isolation!

You’re ready to come and your employer wants you to start in November/ December, or early 2022 at the latest. You’ve tried, without success to book a place via NZ’s infamous MIQ online system and you’re starting to lose hope of arriving in NZ this year.

New Zealand’s MIQ’s virtual lobby system is on hold and we’re all waiting for December bookings to open. The issue is that even when it does open, there is no guarantee of securing a place in MIQ via this system.

The good news is that there are two other options available to Critical Health Workers to apply for MIQ accommodation.

1. Time Sensitive Travel Allocation Request

This is an online application made by you (with the assistance of your employer) several months out from travel. You need to have accepted a job, have your MCNZ registration outcome letter and your Critical Purpose Visitor Visa in order to apply. Any doctor, who meets the criteria (see website) can apply.

Any doctor, who meets the criteria (see website) can apply. A doctor/ employer needs to show that they provide a critical service that is not, or soon will not be, practicably accessible for a local community or region.

The first step is to acquire an endorsement from the Ministry of Health or a DHB, depending where you’ll be employed. Once you have an endorsement, potential travellers can apply via the MIQ website.