Interim visas may be granted to maintain a person’s lawful status in New Zealand, where he or she holds a valid temporary visa and has applied for a further temporary visa. The new type of visa is one of the changes introduced by the Immigration Act 2009.
In most cases an interim visa will be granted automatically by electronic means, and there is no fee and no visa label. People who are granted interim visas will be notified by email or by letter. The interim visa will be valid until the date a person’s application for a temporary visa is decided (up to a maximum of six months).
Whether the holder of an interim visa can work or study is shown by the conditions of the interim visa. These conditions depend on the visa he or she held previously, and the type and conditions of the visa applied for.
More detail is on our Interim Visa Factsheet, and a set of questions and answers is available.
