There are renewed calls for widening eligibility - and more support - to help Ukrainian nationals get to our shores.

The 2022 Special Ukraine Visa was announced in March after Russia invaded Ukraine.

It was opened for a year and enables Ukrainian-born New Zealand citizens and residents in New Zealand to sponsor Ukrainian family members and their immediate family.

Successful applicants are granted a two-year work visa with work rights, and children are able to attend school.

When it was launched by former Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi, it was expected to benefit around 4000 people.

Figures from Immigration New Zealand show as of October 10,  1,001 sponsorship requests had been received, of which 991 have been processed.

Border and Visa Operations General Manager Nicola Hogg says they had also received 1,174 visa applications.

Visas have been approved for 1,029 Ukraine nationals, and 374 people have arrived in New Zealand on this visa.

National Party Immigration Spokesperson Erica Stanford says she was expecting the number of visas applied for would have been "upwards of four thousand" given the need.

She's both surprised not many have arrived, but also not surprised given the conditions.

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Stanford says from the Ukrainians she's spoken to, the reason not that many people have turned up because there's no stability or certainty for them here.

"So, if they come, what is their pathway to residence? Are they here for good? Are they here for a few years?"

"The second thing is around healthcare, and I know for a lot of the older parents who are coming here, they have realised if there is any health problems at all, or any health services they have to use, it's on their children, or on their relatives in this country to have to pay for, because their visa doesn't come with healthcare.

"I know a lot of those elderly parents are terrified they'd be putting a huge burden on their children and they don't want to do that, so they're not coming."

Stanford says she's been calling all year to ensure these people get healthcare -- but says anyone over 18 should also be able to undertake tertiary study at domestic rates.

She says the criteria should be wider than just immediate family members to encourage more applications.

"Right from the start we were hoping the scope would have been a bit wider so aunties and uncles and nieces and nephews would be able to come as well."

Stanford says the fact there's been just over a thousand applications indicates now is the time to widen the criteria to help get some more of those people in pretty desperate situations out here.

Mahi for Ukraine's Kate Turska says the reason the majority of people who have received a visa and don't come, is financial circumstances.

"They know there's no support in New Zealand for special visa holders, and they have to rely on their immediate family to support them, and they're not always able to do so."

She says there's also the matter of a ticket fare, and the ability to get here.

Turska says Mahi for Ukraine have established a trust where they try and fundraise and support the new arrivals themselves.

She says there's several things they'd like to see, including any access to services the Government generally provides to those with conventional refugee status.

Turska says support could be anything that helps these people to transition to life here -- such as help with health or transport.

She says these people haven't really thought about relocating here, they've had to do it due to the circumstances they're in, so they're not prepared.

"They may not have the necessary language ability, they can't access public funding to study, or confirm their diplomas of have any support for the job search."

Turska says they feel there's been "a bit of a fail" when it comes to policy implementation and they'd like to see the eligibility changed in two ways.

"You have to be of Ukrainian descent in the first place, and then you have to be a citizen or a resident of New Zealand, and then you can only sponsor your immediate family.

"We've heard from so many Kiwis who are not necessarily of Ukrainian descent who would like to sponsor some Ukrainians to come and they're not allowed too."

Turska says they would like to extend the pool of who would be eligible to sponsor, to any Kiwi who has a relation to Ukraine.

She says they also want the criteria for people who can be sponsored, be widened from just immediate family.

"We have a number of instance of people turn to us and say 'I don't necessarily have immediate family in Ukraine, but I have a cousin or an aunty or an uncle or a nephew or a niece I'd like to bring over' and they're currently unable to, so we'd like to see them being able to do that."

Turska says they met with Minister Wood in August with a number of requests, and they're due to meet with him again this week.

Immigration Minister Michael Wood says the Special Ukraine Visa is the largest special visa category New Zealand has established in decades to support an international humanitarian effort.

He says the community support model established reflected the requests from the community at the time.

"Since becoming Minister of Immigration, I have continued to engage with the Ukrainian community in New Zealand and monitor the outcomes of our policy to ensure it meeting the intent.

"I have also signalled to the community that I am looking to bring forward the policy review into early 2023."

Wood says the numbers so far highlights that a number of factors influence whether a person wishes to travel from Ukraine to New Zealand.

He says that includes that fighting aged men cannot leave the country, Ukraine making considerable advances in the war, and a number of countries offering humanitarian support that are closer to Ukraine than us.

Wood says it is worth noting that the projections of families supported assumed that every eligible Ukrainian in New Zealand sponsored two individuals.

He says Immigration New Zealand continues to prioritise urgent visa applications from Ukrainian nationals, and expressions of interest under this visa category can be made until 15 March next year.

"I remain open to revisiting our setting if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates."