INZ has updated guidance for immigration officers regarding the duration of visitor visas.

The new guidance recommends a three-month length of stay as the starting point for consideration of overseas general visitor visa applications, provided the applicant has not spent more than nine of the last 18 months in New Zealand. This corresponds to the visa validity period granted to visitors from most visa-exempt countries.

Immigration officers may provide different time frames depending on each applicant’s individual circumstances.

Clients wishing to extend their visa must detail the reasons for doing so in their applications. This will be considered as part of the visa application assessment process.