Parents and wider family members will be able to join Ukrainians in New Zealand under a new policy covering about 4000 people.
Kris Faafoi Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The government is also increasing aid funding to Ukraine by $4m.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi this morning announced the 2022 Special Ukraine Policy will be open for one year from today.
He said it would enable an estimated 1600 Ukrainian-born New Zealand citizens and residents in New Zealand to sponsor parents, grandparents, adult siblings or adult children and their immediate family who are ordinarily resident in Ukraine to shelter in New Zealand.
"It's a two year visa to help people escape the current conflict and to shelter here in the hope they can return home when the war ends," Faafoi said.
Successful applicants would be granted a two-year work visa with work rights, or study rights if they are 18 years or younger.
Faafoi said it was the largest special visa category New Zealand had ever established to support an international humanitarian effort.
"This builds on previous supports we have provided through our immigration system, which included extensions for Ukrainian nationals in New Zealand whose visas expire before the end of the year, and ensuring Ukrainian citizens holding valid New Zealand visas offshore can enter immediately without waiting for our borders to reopen."
Eligible sponsors should contact Immigration New Zealand to get their requests prioritised, after which the department would invite visa applications with no fees, which could be completed by the sponsors in New Zealand.
Applicants would be required to declare that they meet health and character requirements, but would not require documentation.
"Once visa are granted, visa holders will have nine months to travel here," Faafoi said.
It comes alongside an announcement from Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta of an extra $4m in humanitarian aid for the people in Ukraine.
The funding would be split evenly between the UN's Ukraine Humanitarian Fund and the UN Refugee Agency. It brings the government's total aid contributions for Ukraine to $6m.
"Russia is causing a massive humanitarian crisis, with over 2.8 million people fleeing from the invasion in Ukraine to neighbouring countries. Reports also show over 1.8 million internally displaced within Ukraine following Russia's attacks on humanitarian corridors and the targeting of innocent people, hospitals, schools, homes and civilian infrastructure," Mahuta said.
Photo: Pool / NZME
"We call on Russia to urgently ensure safe passage for civilians away from the conflict and to take all possible steps to protect civilians in line with international humanitarian law. Russian forces must halt attacks against civilians and civilian objects, and cease their indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks."
Green Party Immigration Spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March welcomed the Special Ukraine Policy, but said it should be extended to include people on temporary visas.
He said the Acceptable Standards of Health should also be removed so migrants and refugees from all countries would not be discriminated against based on disability or health conditions.
"While we welcome today's announcement as a necessary step, we acknowledge that this level of response hasn't been seen in other communities facing war, including people in Syria and Yemen," Menéndez March said.
"We also still need to see the refugee quota being fully utilised and a review of the visa waiver status of the non-visa waiver status of Ukraine and other countries affected by war."