Here we share some general information about Visitor Visa policy. This does not replace or constitute immigration advice from a licensed immigration adviser.
A visitor visa allows entry to New Zealand for a limited period of time, without the right to study*, work, or reside in New Zealand.
*excluding courses of up to 3 months in one calendar year.
A visitor visa will always have an expiry date. It is the traveller’s responsibility to comply with any conditions (even if the visa has been issued electronically, rather than in the passport) and to leave by the expiry date (or obtain an extension).
Because it is the most temporary of visas, a visitor visa is often associated with few conditions if the traveller is from “low risk” counties, although travellers from “high risk” regions may find themselves required to apply in advance and meet rigorous standards.
All travellers represent some degree of “risk” to the host nation. In the case of persons coming to New Zealand permanently or to work, or visiting from “high risk” regions; that “risk” is managed by requiring detailed documentation in advance, which can be verified before arrival.
In the case of visitors from “low risk” counties, however, the “risk” is managed through the discretion of front line Immigration officers, supported by powerful databases linked globally among major western nations. These are fearsome; both in their power and in their capacity to sometimes get it wrong.
Perceived “risks” can range from a “risk” that a traveller may undertake unauthorized work, or become illegal, or may be entering for marriage, not holiday; through to having undisclosed criminal convictions or being a terrorist.
This system works very well at protecting New Zealand and most travellers suffer little inconvenience, but every day, dramas unfold at airports, out of sight of the general public, as unprepared travellers find themselves caught in webs of suspicion, sometimes justified, but also, sometimes the result of error or misplaced assumption.
Good general advice is: avoid coming to New Zealand on a short term visitor’s visa if your real intention is to do something else like getting work, getting married, or staying longer.
It is tempting to think; “I’ll come on a visitor’s visa and sort the issues out when I get there”; but the risk is that Immigration New Zealand thinks you are trying to “trick them” and the consequences of that can be very severe.
Be honest with Immigration New Zealand.
If you have a problem, talk to Ausfortune Migration Services.
Helping individuals, families, and businesses since 1997