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.