New Zealand visa application fee increasing per 5 November 2018
The visa application fee is what Immigration New Zealand charges to process your visa application. You pay this when you submit your visa application online. Or, if you apply on paper, the most common way to pay is to provide your credit card details.
The amount you pay is made up of 2 components: the visa application fee itself and a levy, but the total amount is generally called “fee” The fee covers the cost to provide immigration services by the government. This includes processing applications but also includes services at the border, compliance (dealing with people who breach visa conditions) and refugees. The last time the fees went up was a couple of years ago.
Overview of fee changes
This time the increase for some visa types is quite significant. Some fees increase by more than 60%. The major fee hikes are for work visas. Both the fee and the levy increase a lot. For resident visas, the fee decreases slightly but the levy increases somewhat. The total fee increase for different types of resident visa applications sits between 10% and 20%.
Students are best off. The visa application fee increase is modest with only 2%.
Another change is the removal of the discount that applied to online applications. Up to 5 November, you pay NZD 298 if you apply online for an Essential Skills work visa. You pay NZD 318 if you submit the same application on paper. From 5 November 2018 onward you pay the same fee for both an online application and a paper application (if you apply within New Zealand).
New visa application fee
For some of the most common visa, the old and the new visa application fee are listed below. The amount is the total amount payable and includes the fee component and the levy component.
| Type of visa | Fee per 5 November 2018 (in NZD) | Current fee (in NZD) | Change |
| Visitor visa | 211 | 165 | 28% |
| Student visa | 275 | 270 | 2% |
| Work visa -Essential Skills | 495 | 298 | +66% |
| Work visa – partner of an NZ citizen/resident | 635 | 393 | 62% |
| Work visa – partner of a work or student visa holder | 495 | 298 | +66% |
| Work visa – Work to residence | 635 | 393 | +62% |
| Working Holiday Visa | 245 | 208 | +18% |
| Resident visa – Skilled Migrant Category | 2,710 | 2,470 | +10% |
| Resident visa – Expression of Interest | 530 | 530 | N/A |
| Resident visa – partner of NZ citizen/resident | 1,480 | 1,250 | +18% |
| Resident visa – Residence from work | 1,800 | 1,550 | +16% |
* Fees listed are for people applying from within NZ and compared to current online application fees (where applicable)
** Amounts listed include the fee and the levy
can i still sponser someone if my passport is expire for more than three years
Hi Rosa,
It depends on your nationality. It goes without saying that if you are not an NZ citizen, that you need a valid visa. You also need a valid passport.
If you are an NZ citizen, you can provide your NZ birth certificate or citizenship certificate if your passport is no longer valid.
Kind regards,
Feija
if my husband has long term health conditions of diabetes and colitis would this stop him from being accepted on a resident visa partner of a new Zealand citizen, because of the perceived long term demand on health care
Hi Sheryl,
Not necessarily, as a medical waiver may be granted if he meets certain criteria.
Kind regards,
Feija
Due to my age I would like an overseas friend to accompany me to NZ for a period of around 5 to 6 months. She has already been to NZ on visitors visa and would be over the 9months in 18months law. Would it be possible if we applied for a Partner visa ?
Regards,
Rik
Hi Rik,
I’m sorry but I’m not going to give you a list of courses here, that goes a bit too far for a response on a blog. I would be happy to help you with course selection and a student visa application (a fee applies).
For a partner to be eligible for a work visa, the Bachelor degree must be in an area that is specified on the Long Term Skill Shortage list.
Kind regards,
Feija
My baby was born in Newzealand, but not a citizen so we have applied for her Ghanaian Passport.
But we need to renew our visa and her passport is still not in. Please what is our best option
Thanks
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
The worst case scenario is that you will have to leave the country with your baby until her passport arrives, you can then apply for her visa. I advise you to call the Immigration Contact Center. As far as I know, it’s not possible to apply for a visa without a passport, unless in certain circumstances (e.g. if a passport is not obtainable, but this does not include situations where it takes a long time for the passport to arrive).
Maybe it is sufficient if you can prove you applied for the passport but I’m not sure of this, so it is better to get an answer to this question from Immigration New Zealand.
Kind regards,
Feija
Hi
i have lived in NZ for last 22 years my mothers is coming from scotland to visit for 4 months , i know she now needs a visitors visa to get it .
i ve tried to do it on line for her to make it easier asking me for a real me account which i do not have
HI Anne Marie,
Your mom does not need a visitor visa. British citizens can stay in New Zealand for up to 6 months without applying for a visitor visa. She does need an Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTa). You do not need a RealMe account for this. You can apply for it here: https://nzeta.immigration.govt.nz/
Kind regards,
Feija