Check your status online
If you applied online, you can check the status of your NEW ZEALAND VISA APPLICATION and find out if we need more information from you.
Checking your application status
Average processing times
Find out how many calendar days it has taken us to process applications for our most common visas in the 3 months to 1 August 2022. For applications that take more than 90 days we have rounded that number to the nearest month. For example, if applications take 110 days, we say it takes 4 months.
Visitor visas
NOTE
We aim to process straightforward Visitor Visa applications within 20 working days. However due to the large number of Visitor Visa applications received since the border reopened on 31 July, we are currently not meeting this timeframe.
We are putting in extra resources and streamlined procedures to process applications faster. We expect to see an improvement in Visitor Visa processing times from late September 2022.
We advise travellers not to book travel until their visa has been approved.
It will take time following the border re-opening to build an accurate picture of processing times. More information about Visitor Visa processing times will be available on this page soon.
Fees, decision times & where to apply
Student visas
| Visa | 50% of applications completed within: | 75% of applications completed within: | 90% of applications completed within: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student visas | 29 days | 48 days | 67 days |
Visa types included in this category can be found at the bottom of this page.
Find recent processing times for other student visas.
Fees, decision times & where to apply
You can also find out how long it takes to process visas for international students depending on the type of education provider they study with.
Visa processing times for international students
Work – other visas
| Visa | 50% of applications completed within: | 75% of applications completed within: | 90% of applications completed within: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work – other visas | 19 days | 25 days | 32 days |
Visa types included in this category can be found at the bottom of this page.
Find recent processing times for a specific work NEW ZEALAND VISA ONLINE.
Fees, decision times & where to apply
Family temporary visas
| Visa | 50% of applications completed within: | 75% of applications completed within: | 90% of applications completed within: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family temporary visas | 18 days | 61 days | 12 months |
Visa types included in this category can be found at the bottom of this page.
Find recent processing times for other resident visas.
Skilled Migrant and Residence from Work processing times
Fees, decision times, and where to apply
Working holiday
| Visa | 50% of applications completed within: | 75% of applications completed within: | 90% of applications completed within: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working holiday visas | 16 days | 25 days | 52 days |
Visa types included in this category can be found at the bottom of this page.
Other
| Visa | 50% of applications completed within: | 75% of applications completed within: | 90% of applications completed within: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner of a New Zealander | 6 months | 8 months | 13 months |
| Permanent Resident Visa | 77 days | 3 months | 5 months |
| Skilled Migrant | 36 months | 41 months | 46 months |
| Transfer of visa to new passport | 5 days | 10 days | 14 days |
| Variation of travel conditions on a resident visa | 12 days | 20 days | 34 days |
NOTE
Due to the impacts of COVID-19 we are experiencing delays in the processing of Permanent Resident Visas and Transfer of Visas to new passports. Transfer of Visas to new passports may take longer than indicated above. We apologise for any inconvenience and we are working hard to improve this.
Find recent processing times for other resident visas.
