While we welcome people from overseas, we need to protect the interests of New Zealand citizens and residents, so some people may be refused entry into New Zealand.

Refusal of a visa

You can be refused entry to New Zealand if you are disqualified under sections 15 and 16 of the Immigration Act 2009. Disqualifying factors include having served time for criminal offences, prior deportation from any country, or involvement in known criminal or terrorist groups.

Denying an application

Your application may be declined under the following circumstances.

• The immigration officer has reason to believe your application or information contained in your application is not genuine.
• The officer believes your purpose is not genuine, or that you do not intend to abide by the visa conditions.

Your application may also be declined if you have fail to meet our requirements. Applications may be not accepted for processing or declined if:

• your application is incomplete
• you are not lawfully in New Zealand at the time of the application, or 
• standards of good health and good character have not been met.