Hon Michael Woodhouse
Minister of Immigration
8 December 2015

Expansion of eVisas modernising travel to NZ

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse welcomes the widespread roll-out of eVisas as a major milestone in modernising travel to New Zealand.

“The expansion of eVisas for online applicants will make the visa application process faster, cheaper and easier,” Mr Woodhouse says.

The roll out means eVisas are now available to the following online applicants:

• all student, visitor and work visa applicants (excluding Chinese nationals) who apply for a visa while in New Zealand
• Student, visitor and work visa applicants from visa-waiver countries who apply from offshore.

“This is a great result for people coming to New Zealand for work, study or a holiday. Many customers will no longer need to send their passport away as part of the application, making the whole process smoother and more convenient.

“Modernising the visa application process is also beneficial for many key industries such as tourism and education as we continue to see an increase in the number of visitors and students travelling to New Zealand.

“eVisas are a great example of the Government making greater use of technology to deliver better services to customers and support efforts to grow the economy,” Mr Woodhouse says.

In practice, eVisas mean recipients will not have a physical visa label in their passport; instead their visa is held electronically. Customers receive an electronic visa approval notification with their visa details, including visa start/end dates and conditions.

Further expansion of INZ’s online services is planned in 2016. For more information, or to apply for a visa online, visit www.immigration.govt.nz

ENDS

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