Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is changing the way it allocates international student visa applications from students in New Zealand, so it has more flexibility and can process these more efficiently during this summer processing peak.
What to Expect
For applications submitted in New Zealand, INZ will prioritize visa applications from students who are in New Zealand and applying for a second or subsequent international student visa, with a new provider or for a different course. This is because students changing course and/or provider must be granted a visa with their new study conditions before they are permitted to start.
- Even if an application is allocated first, it does not mean it will be decided in that order.
- INZ will continue to process other international student visa applications in date order.
- The quality and completeness of any application has a direct impact on how long it takes for the application to be decided.
- Students must submit all the information needed when they apply. Due to the high volume of visa applications received during the peak summer months, INZ is not able to contact students before allocation if documents are missing from their visa application. If information required to assess an application is missing, the application may be declined.
- Students who are applying for a student visa from within New Zealand, must include their tuition fee receipt upfront, or their application may be declined.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.