New Zealand rolls out online visa facility

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has developed a new ICT system that would facilitate online Work and Visitor visas. The roll out of Immigration ONLINE follows the success of online student visa applications which have been available online since August last year, according to Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse. The Minister welcomed the move saying it is good news for INZ customers all over the world. With the facility, 60 percent of visa applications by volume can now be made online and the online capability will be extended to 80 percent as a result of an additional capital investment of $28.4 million in Budget 2015.

“The extra funding will enable INZ to improve the technology to extend Immigration ONLINE for family groups and tour groups to apply similar to a single visa,” the Minister said. INZ’s third party partners such as immigration advisers and lawyers can now also lodge visa applications online on behalf of their clients, while education providers and employers can now assist a student or employee with their relevant applications. eVisas (label-less and passport-less) are also now available to onshore Work and Visitor visa applicants from visa-waiver countries.  The next stage of eVisas will be rolled out later this year. “Immigration ONLINE makes the whole visa process easier and faster, and further supports some of our key export industries such as tourism and export education which have already benefitted from more visitors and international students. It’s also a good example of our public service making greater use of technology to deliver better services,” the Minister said.