We understand how important it is to you that we process your application as quickly as possible. Please find below some information that will help you to understand how long it is likely to take to process your application.
We will receipt all applications and load them into our computer system within 24 hours. If you have provided your email address or mobile phone number, you will receive notification that we have received your application.
The table below shows the percentage of applications processed in our Auckland branches within 25 days.
In some cases, where more information is needed to support an application, for example a labour market check or a medical referral, applications can take considerably longer than 25 days. Other than the table above, we are unable to predict how long each individual application is likely to take, but we are committed to delivering the fastest possible service and we will keep in touch with you throughout the process of your application.
If you have an existing medical condition, or there are questions arising from the Medical and or Chest X-ray Certificate that you have submitted with your application for a visa, we are required to refer your documents to an independent medical assessor for their opinion on your health.
Certificates referred to an assessor can take a minimum of four weeks to return to us. We may then ask you to provide additional information in the form of specialist reports clarifying the nature and prognosis of your condition.
No decision can be made on the outcome of your visa application until any and all questions regarding your medical status have been resolved.
The Government's annual residence programme gives priority to skilled and business migrants and the partners of returning New Zealanders.
Family Partnership and Dependent Child applications (under Family Category) will be processed before other categories. We expect to allocate your Family Category application for residence (under these criteria) to a case officer within six to nine months of acceptance of your application.
All other types of Family Category applications (Parents, Adult Siblings, and Adult Child) have a lower priority. Demand for these places currently exceeds supply with a current waiting time of 18-24 months for a place to become available within the cap. In practice this means that an application will usually take from 18-24 months from the time of lodgement to be allocated to a case officer for assessment.
The Pool draw, which may allocate your Expression of Interest (EOI) to either the Auckland Central Branch or the Henderson Branch, occurs every two weeks.
An immigration officer will make an initial assessment of your EOI within six to eight weeks of the Pool draw. Your immigration officer will then contact you, either inviting you to apply for residence or requesting further information.
If you are successful in your EOI you will receive an Invitation To Apply (ITA) pack. Please read the instructions carefully and contact your immigration officer if you have any problems.
Once your residence application has been lodged with us, it is processed by the branch issuing your ITA. Both branches aim to deliver a decision within six to nine months of your application being accepted.
Processing times largely depend on whether you have supplied your immigration officer with everything they have requested in your ITA and any verification that is required. Delays can occur if all requested documentation has not been provided.
Things that may delay a Skilled Migrant application include:
