A6.11 Immigration levy

A6.11.1 Objective

See also Immigration Act s 399

1. The objective of the immigration levy is to fund:
   1. the provision of programmes intended to assist the successful settlement of migrants or categories of migrants
   2. the carrying out of research into settlement issues and the impacts of immigration
   3. the infrastructure required for, and the operation of, the immigration system, including (without limitation) for the following purposes:
      • establishing and verifying the identity of persons:
      • managing risk to the integrity of the immigration system:
      • managing immigration risk to the safety and security of New Zealand:
      • managing compliance with the immigration system;
   4. activities aimed at attracting migrants to New Zealand; and
   5. the Immigration Advisers Authority, to the extent that it is not otherwise funded.

A6.11.5 Who must pay the immigration levy

See also Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, Reg 4B

1. Principal applicants applying for a visa outside of an immigration control area, for one of the following categories must pay an immigration levy, unless exempt:
   1. temporary visas
      • work visas; or
      • student visas; or
      • visitor visas, except group visitor visas; or
   2. limited visas; or
   3. resident visas, except second and subsequent resident visas under RV4.
2. All applicants applying for a group visitor visa must pay the immigration levy, unless exempt.

Note: Applicants who made an application under the residence instructions made prior to 7 December 2015 must pay the migrant levy, as per R5.1 Applications determined by INZ officers.

A6.11.15 Immigration levy payable to INZ when making an application for a visa

1. The Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010 prescribe when an immigration levy is payable to INZ and the amounts payable.
2. An immigration levy is payable at the time an application for a visa is made to INZ or its agents.
3. Different immigration levy rates are payable for applications based on the type of visa being applied for. Details of the immigration levy payable are available at www.immigration.govt.nz/fees.

A6.11.20 Exempt from immigration levy

See also Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, Reg 4C

Principal applicants are exempt from paying the immigration levy if the applicant is:

1. a person to whom a visa waiver to travel to New Zealand applies (see E2.1); or
2. a diplomatic, consular and official staff and accompanying partners and dependent children (see A6.1.11); or
3. a person applying for a visa where there is a bilateral fee waiver for that visa (see A6.5); or
4. a citizen of Samoa applying for a residence class visa; or
5. a claimant, refugee, or protected person; or
6. a person applying for a residence class visa on the basis of the person’s relationship with a refugee or protected person; or
7. a person applying for a visa:
   1. under the special instructions for Victims of People Trafficking; or
   2. under the special instructions for Victims of family Violence; or
   3. under the Skilled Migrant Category job search instructions; or
   4. under the Migrant Exploitation Protection work visa instructions; or
   5. as the partner or dependent child of a person granted a visa under the Migrant Exploitation Protection work visa instructions.

Note: For the purposes of schedule 5(9) of the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, the category is also known as the Special Category for Victims of Family Violence.

Effective 28/02/2023