Why Your New Zealand Visitor Visa Could Be Denied This Christmas

Michael Yoon
Principal Immigration Lawyer

Immigration New Zealand expects 260,000 visitor visas this summer. Apply early to avoid delays, with deadlines for Christmas and New Year travel fast approaching. Don't miss out on your Kiwi summer! Contact Immigration Lawyer NZ for any questions.

Have you booked your summer holiday yet? If you haven’t, and you’re thinking about New Zealand, you better get moving – because according to the latest immigration news, Immigration New Zealand is gearing up for a flood of visitor visa applications, and you do not want to be left stranded at the gate.

With over 260,000 visitor visas expected this summer, and the typical processing time already sitting at three weeks, things could get even slower as Christmas and New Year approaches. They’re telling travellers to get their applications in early – and I mean early. October 15 is the deadline for those planning to spend Christmas in New Zealand, and if you’re coming for the New Year or the Lunar New Year, you’ve got until November 15.

The good news is, if you’re coming from a visa waiver country, you can bypass the queue with a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA). But, if you're from places like China, India, or the Philippines, where a lot of the applications are expected from, you're in for a wait unless you’re quick.

What’s interesting is that Immigration NZ is practically begging people to submit their applications correctly. If your documents are incomplete, you’ll be waiting longer, or worse, your application could be declined. And yet, it happens all the time.

So, the message here is simple: get organised, get your papers in order, and get on with it. This isn’t something you can leave until the last minute, because come December, you could be stuck at home while your mates are off enjoying a Kiwi summer.

New Zealand’s rolling out the welcome mat – just don’t trip over it by being late to the party.

Looking for more immigration news? Click here to read other New Zealand immigration latest news today.

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Last modified on 19 September 2024 by
Michael Yoon
Principal Immigration Lawyer
Michael has been working as a lawyer in New Zealand since 2006. Over the years, he has successfully helped thousands of clients to get their desired outcome. Clients find Michael knowledgeable, approachable and professional — a trusted expert.
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