The Cook Islands Migrant Hub is the settlement support service for people who have moved to the Cook Islands.
If you hold a permit and your employer or address changes, you must notify Immigration. Use the Variation of Conditions Form.
Common questions
View all 17 related answersWhat do you mean by circumstances?
Circumstances will differ depending on the type of permanent residence, visa or permit you are applying for.
For example, if you are applying for permanent residence as the spouse of a Cook Islander, your relationship with that Cook Islander is a circumstance relevant to your application.
If you apply for a work visa and permit, your specific role and contract conditions are circumstances that are directly relevant to your application.
Do I always need to inform you about material changes in circumstances?
If you are applying for permanent residence, you must keep us informed right up to the time the permanent residence is granted.
If you are applying for a visa or permit, you must also keep us informed up until the time the visa or permit is granted. But you must also inform us of any material change in circumstances as a condition of holding the visa or permit. So, you need to keep us up to date until the visa or permit expires.
What is a sponsor?
A sponsor is a natural person or entity who guarantees that the person they sponsor will comply with immigration requirements while in the Cook Islands and depart when their visa and permit expire. The sponsor also provides accommodation while the person is in the Cook Islands.
My sponsor is trying to recover the cost of my flight and my rent as part of my wages. Can they do that?
No. Sponsors must not enter into an agreement with the sponsored person or another person for:
- any financial or other gain or reward in return for agreeing to act as a sponsor, or
- any reimbursement of monies paid as a result of the sponsorship.
Examples of this include:
- where the sponsor who is also an employer pays for an airfare for an employee/sponsored person, then makes an agreement with that person to recover that airfare as part of their wages
- where the sponsor makes the person pay them a percentage of their weekly wage as payment for them agreeing to be a sponsor.
What is a material change in circumstances?
A material change is one that has real importance or great consequence. It is a change in your circumstances that will have a significant affect your application and the immigration status you applied for.
It is important because you are required to meet certain criteria to be granted a visa or permit, or permanent residence. If you can no longer meet these criteria, this can affect the outcome of your application.