Immigration New Zealand’s Manila office was closed on 18 March 2020 because the COVID-19 situation in the Philippines has changed. This office has 31 staff who usually process applications including Essential Skills, Specific Purpose and Partnership work visa applications. This is the third major offshore office which was closed due to the pandemic (Mumbai and Beijing closed earlier) which slows down assessments of temporary entry visas.

If you need to apply for a work visa, we recommend doing so 3-4 months in advance.