Enhancements to Immigration Online

It’s now faster and easier to apply for a visa online, and keep track of your application during processing.

Before you start, you’re told exactly what evidence you need to provide based on your visa type, your nationality and where you’re travelling from. Providing this information helps us to understand what requirements your application must meet.

New online tools help you complete your application form quickly and accurately, so we can make a decision about your application faster.  

Smart forms mean we only ask you relevant questions, based on the answers you give and the visa you’re applying for.

Then, all you need to submit your online application is a passport-style photo and a credit or debit card.

You don’t need to provide a medical certificate upfront anymore. Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll assess whether any health evidence is required and we’ll check this against any records you might have provided to us as part of a previous application. If we need new or updated health evidence, we’ll request this from you. No more guesswork.

While you’re waiting for a decision on your application, you can check its status on your Immigration Online dashboard.

And don’t worry, we’ll send you an email notification if anything changes, or if we need more information from you.

It’s also easy to share your online application with someone else if you need a little help. Some organisations, or a friend or family member, can help you to complete the online form. Or you can get immigration advice from an immigration lawyer or licensed adviser.

And it’s not just visas. Employers can apply for accreditation and job checks using Immigration Online too. 

Online enhancements also mean multiple Immigration New Zealand case officers may be working to process your application at the same time. This will speed things up, meaning you’ll receive a decision sooner. 

To get started, visit immigration.govt.nz today.

In the enhanced Immigration Online system, people can quickly and easily apply for and manage their applications.

Maria needs to apply for a visa.

On the Immigration New Zealand website, she can click the ‘I want to’ options to guide her to the right smart application form. Or she can log into her Immigration Online dashboard, using her RealMe login.

Maria can easily follow this link to create a RealMe account if she doesn’t have one. Her account doesn’t need to be verified so she can get started on her application straight away.

Once logged in, Maria is taken to her dashboard.

Maria has a unique sharing ID. She can use this to share her application with others, like a friend or family member, or a professional like an immigration adviser.

Professionals like immigration advisers can use networks to share applications with others in their organisation, and collaborate on applications.

Maria clicks ‘My Visas’ to start her application.

These are all the applications Maria has made, including those that are in draft or submitted, and any visas issued.

Maria clicks here to apply for a visa.

Maria is applying for a Visitor Visa. Answering these questions before she starts her application helps her check she’s picked the right visa type and will minimise any potential delays when INZ starts processing her application.

Maria is the principal applicant so these are her details. She can add her partner or children, if the visa type allows.

This is the first page of the smart application form.

First, Maria must complete her identity details. After that she can move around the application using the progress bar.

Not all tabs, sections and fields will appear for all applicants. For example, the purpose of visit tab only appears for the principal applicant. Some appear or disappear depending on the previous responses.

If Maria is working with a licensed immigration adviser or an exempt person, they will need to state they are providing immigration advice in the ‘immigration assistance’ tab. Licensed advisers will need to provide their licence number.

If Maria had any help completing her application, she will need to complete a declaration form which authorises for someone to assist her. This will need to be uploaded under the ‘supporting documents’ tab.

When the application is complete, including all mandatory fields, the progress bar turns dark blue.

The form lets Maria know if she’s missed a mandatory field or made a mistake when she clicked submit. This means Maria can feel confident she has provided everything required. Her application will be ready for assessment and reduce the likelihood of INZ asking for further information.

When Maria submits her application, she’s prompted to pay a fee and the application enters the system for processing.

Once submitted, Maria can keep an eye on her application’s progress in her dashboard. She can also view a summary of her application – or of any other application she has submitted.

If Maria needs to provide further information to INZ, she will receive an email telling her to log into her account.

Maria can click to read the letter, which outlines what she needs to provide. She can then upload her evidence by clicking ‘respond’.

Once Maria’s application has been fully assessed, she will receive an email to let her know if her visa has been approved. She can log into her dashboard and check the ‘My Visas’ section to view her issued visa.

That’s the end of the application process. It gives Maria an easy to use form where she always knows where she’s at in the process. And it gives INZ assessment ready applications that are complete and correct, and should reduce the need for customers to call our contact centre.