Media releases

We have contracted 3 organisations to provide refugee settlement support services in 5 new locations.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is concerned about the number of unauthorised third party visa websites overcharging visitors to New Zealand.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is encouraged by the number of travellers who have requested their NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) ahead of it becoming mandatory from 1 October 2019.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is warning there will be rigorous prosecution of employers who exploit migrants.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and Education New Zealand (ENZ) have agreed to an industry and agent engagement programme to grow high-quality student enrolments from the Vietnam market and deter fraud.

Immigration New Zealand has found a number of migrants working unlawfully in the sex industry, but no evidence of exploitation.

Since the Christchurch Mosque attacks on 15 March 2019, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has been committed to trying to relieve some of the stress and anxiety in the Christchurch Muslim community around immigration issues by providing immigration support and assistance to victims of the attacks and their families.

The eleventh annual survey shows the positive effects of the RSE scheme on regional communities and businesses

The New Zealand Pacific Access Category quotas will be drawn by ballot today.

A Bangladeshi couple who are New Zealand citizens have been jailed after being found guilty of multiple charges of migrant exploitation.

Ashburton has been selected as the sixth new refugee settlement location following the Government’s decision to increase the annual refugee quota to 1,500 places from July 2020.

The first New Zealand Private Training Establishment (PTE) has been convicted of immigration fraud in the Auckland District Court and fined $40,000.

Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji are encouraged to register for this year’s ballot under the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category, which takes place between 1 and 30 April.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will prioritise processing for the families of the people killed or injured in the mass shootings in Christchurch on Friday.

A Bangladeshi couple who are New Zealand citizens have been found guilty on a number of exploitation and other immigration related charges.

A married Bangladeshi couple who are New Zealand citizens, will appear before the Auckland District Court next Monday, 11 February 2019 on charges of human trafficking, exploitation and other immigration related charges.

Immigration New Zealand’s work at the border is showcased in the latest annual Year at the Border report.

A 64-year-old man has been arrested and charged with human trafficking and slavery, following a lengthy investigation by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and NZ Police.

The sentencing of dual Filipino/New Zealand citizen restauranteurs who exploited migrants has been upheld in the Court of Appeal.

Departure cards will be removed from the New Zealand border on 5 November 2018 and replaced by smarter electronic systems.

A Malaysian-based airline has been prosecuted and fined $9,000 for allowing a passenger to board a flight to New Zealand - despite being told by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) not to do so.

A lawyer has been sentenced for providing services that supported migrant exploitation by Faroz Ali, the first person convicted of human trafficking in New Zealand history.

An Indian national New Zealand citizen has been convicted for exploiting Indian workers he employed.

A takeaway and pizza delivery store and its former owner have been sentenced for unlawfully employing a worker and aiding a person to breach visa conditions.

Immigration New Zealand is taking a proactive approach to better understanding issues within the sex industry as part of wider work on exploitation.

A 31 year old female Fijian citizen has been arrested and charged by the Fiji Police with serious crimes including human trafficking as a result of a joint Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and Fijian Police investigation.

Christchurch has been reinstated as a settlement location for quota refugees. The city was a settlement location up until the earthquake in 2010.

The tenth annual survey of RSE employers is another win for the New Zealand horticulture and viticulture industries – and New Zealanders.

New Zealand will extend a warm Kiwi welcome to 21 sponsored refugees, made up of five families, who arrive this week under a new settlement approach.

The New Zealand Samoan Quota is drawn today on 29 June 2018.

A Christchurch liquor store and its owner have been sentenced for employing an unlawful Indian migrant for three and a half years.

Partners and dependent children can now apply for visas online after the latest upgrade to Immigration Online.

Three Wellington businesses – Catalyst IT, Village at the Park and Geeves Scaffolding- were named as recipients of the Immigration Gold Showcase at last night’s Wellington Gold Awards.

A Fijian national has been sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to visa fraud associated with her husband, who obtained residence after making up a story that his family was massacred by a group of Bangladeshi.

A Barrister was convicted for his role of knowingly providing false and misleading information to Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji are encouraged to register for this year’s ballot under the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category, which takes place between 3 and 30 April.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is boosting its risk and verification processes in the ongoing battle against visa fraud.

Families and visitors travelling together to New Zealand can now apply for visas online after the latest upgrade to Immigration Online.

A total of 54 people have been deported from New Zealand as part of an Immigration New Zealand (INZ) operation across Auckland to tackle illegal workers, identity fraud and people smuggling in the construction industry.

A Fijian national who made up a story that he arrived in New Zealand as a stowaway after his entire family were massacred by a group of Bangladeshi has been sentenced on a representative fraud charge.

A couple and their Auckland-based restaurant have been sentenced on charges of exploitation and providing false or misleading information relating to five Filipino employees they sponsored to come to New Zealand.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that more jobs will be created in New Zealand as a result of a decision to bring home much of the high-risk, high-value processing of visas currently done overseas.

Around the world Kiwis are renowned for being friendly, hospitable and inclusive – qualities highlighted in a new two-year pilot programme which launched its Welcoming Communities Standard (the standard) today.

People trafficking charges have been brought by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) against a Bangladeshi couple who are New Zealand citizens.

An airline has been prosecuted for allowing a passenger to board a flight to New Zealand - despite being told by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) not to do so.

A dual Samoan New Zealand pastor and his church have been sentenced on charges relating to lying to Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to sponsor a Samoan police officer who was offered work as a youth pastor even though they had no money to pay him.

Immigration New Zealand will be sponsoring this year’s Best Plain English Turnaround Award as part of the WriteMark Plain English Awards.

Immigration New Zealand is joining with Pacific leaders and horticulture and viticulture industry leaders to celebrate 10 years of the innovative and world-leading Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.

A New Zealand permanent resident who tried to fraudulently bring a child into New Zealand has been sentenced for providing false and misleading documents to Immigration New Zealand.

Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji are encouraged to register for this year’s ballot under the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category between 1 and 30 April 2015.

Invercargill has been selected as a new refugee settlement location following a whole of Government assessment.

A dual Filipino / New Zealand national has been sentenced after pleading guilty to 284 charges involving multiple fraudulent work visa applications submitted by Filipinos seeking work in the New Zealand dairy industry.

Citizens of Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji are encouraged to register for this year’s ballot under the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category, which takes place between 3 and 28 April.

A second defendant in a people trafficking case has been sentenced at the High Court in Tauranga.

A Fijian national who failed to obtain a visa to come to New Zealand on multiple occasions has been sentenced after fraudulently obtaining a passport using a false identity and entering New Zealand under the false identity.

The work of Immigration New Zealand’s Border Operations team is showcased in the latest Year at the Border annual report, which features some fascinating facts and figures as well as a number of case studies.

A Filipino national and her company have been sentenced on nine charges relating to the exploitation of five migrant workers at their Japanese sushi restaurants in Auckland.

A Fijian national working as a chef in New Zealand has been sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for immigration fraud.

The first person to be convicted of people trafficking in New Zealand has been sentenced at the High Court in Auckland to a total of nine years and six months in jail and ordered to pay a total of $28,167 reparation to his victims.

A third person involved in the company running the Auckland Indian restaurant chain Masala has today been sentenced on a charge related to the exploitation of migrant workers.

Two people involved in the management of the Auckland Indian restaurant chain Masala have been sentenced at the Auckland District Court this morning on charges related to the exploitation of migrant workers.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) can confirm that it is investigating multiple work visa applications involving Filipino dairy workers.

A Fijian man has been sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment for what a judge described as a lifetime of immigration fraud.

A Fijian national has appeared at the Manukau District Court today on 16 charges of people trafficking under the Crimes Act 1961, and 56 other charges under the Immigration Act 2009.

A Chinese woman has been sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment for immigration fraud.

Two men have been sentenced today at the High Court in Nelson for their role in organising false refugee claims.

An Auckland woman has been sentenced in Auckland District Court this morning to a total of 27 months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of five offences under the Immigration Act 2009.