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The Department of Internal Affairs has confirmed that just over 400 Samoans have successfully gained New Zealand citizenship since the passing of the Samoa Citizenship Restoration Act.
The department received more than 950 applications from Samoans, born between 1924 and 1948, who had their citizenship status stripped after a Privy Council decision in 1982.
New Zealand legislators unanimously passed an amendment to the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act in November 2024 to reopen a pathway to citizenship for the 3500 Samoans who were impacted by the decision.
Internal Affairs general manager Adrian Jarvis said the department is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to train High Commission staff in Apia to deal with New Zealand citizenship inquiries.
He said people are sending their applications to the High Commission, which are then sent on to New Zealand for processing, adding one to two weeks to the overall timeline.
Samoans who are eligible for New Zealand citizenship under the new law must have been born on or after 13 May 1924 and before 1 January 1949.
