Immigration
Application fees for New Zealand visas are set to rise dramatically, on 5 November 2018. These changes were made following a period of public consultation.
The confirmed fee increases
MBIE has now confirmed the following changes to visa application fees:
- Removing the discount for online applications.
- 54% increase across most work visa categories.
- 43% increase to immigration levies.
- 10% increase to visitor visas and most residence visas.
- 1% decrease for skilled migrant residence visas.
- 20% increase to employer accreditation initial and subsequent applications.
- 6.5% fee reduction for student visas.
A full link to the new fee schedule can be found here.
Who will be impacted?
- Individuals looking to apply for work or residence visas;
- Employers hoping to support employees in securing work or residence visas; and
- Employers planning to submit first time accreditation or renewal applications.
Our advice
We encourage employers to carry out an 'immigration stock-take'. If you have employees who are looking to renew their work visas or apply for residence, we would encourage them to get these applications in before 5 November 2018.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.