Customers told us that the way that we display wait times – in weekdays, and with 2 processing times is confusing. Furthermore, they preferred to see a single timeframe in order to better plan their travel.

For that reason the visa wait times on our website have been updated to show a single wait time, based on how long it takes for 80% of visa applications to be processed. This change makes the information clearer and allows customers to plan their travel with confidence and certainty.

Using the 80% figure is more representative of what customers can expect.

Wait times will be shown as weeks and months instead of weekdays, resulting in clearer information for customers.

Changing to this new approach means that some visa wait times may appear to have increased, but this is only a change in the way we present information.

How long it takes to process an application

We also publish information on how we are progressing against our performance goals, to demonstrate accountability to our customers and the public.

Performance reporting for Immigration New Zealand