New Zealand Visa

If your employer has permission and the job passes a check, the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is the main work visa for skilled workers.

The time it takes to process varies depending on the type of visa. It may be faster to get a work or visitor visa, but it can take months to get a residence visa. We can help you figure out how long you should expect to wait.

The fastest way to apply is online directly through the official Immigration New Zealand (INZ) portal, or for citizens of eligible countries, via the NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) mobile app or website. Processing an NZeTA can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 72 hours, whereas standard online visa applications are processed significantly faster than old paper-based submissions.

Using an expert like Ezy Immigration speeds up the process by ensuring your documentation is completely error-free before submission, preventing the lengthy processing delays caused by Immigration New Zealand sending back “letters of intent to decline” or requesting missing information.

Private agencies like Ezy Immigration are highly regarded because they provide end-to-end management of complex applications (such as Accredited Employer Work Visas, Partnership Visas, and Skilled Migrant Category pathways). The best company is always one that employs Licensed Immigration Advisers (LIAs). Ezy Immigration’s director, Eddie Dhiman, holds dual credentials as an LIA in New Zealand and a Registered Migration Agent in Australia, making them a strong option for cross-Tasman or complex cases.

The only official government website for New Zealand visa applications is immigration.govt.nz. From there, you can create a “RealMe” account, which is the secure login system used by the New Zealand government to let you fill out forms, upload documents, and pay fee balances directly.

If you apply on your own, you can track it by logging back into your Immigration New Zealand (INZ) portal (RealMe account) where you submitted the application. If you hire a professional service like Ezy Immigration, they utilize an agency dashboard to monitor your application status in real-time and will handle all direct correspondence from immigration officers on your behalf.

By New Zealand law, anyone giving you immigration advice must be licensed. You can find the complete, searchable database of every legal professional on the official Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) register at iaa.govt.nz. For example, you can verify Ezy Immigration’s license status on that register under license number #201300919.

The total cost consists of two separate fees:

1. Government Fees: Paid directly to Immigration New Zealand for processing (tariffs vary widely based on visa type and your nationality).

2. Professional Service Fees: Paid to the adviser or firm. These fees vary depending on the complexity of your case (e.g., a basic visitor visa vs. a complex Skilled Migrant residency pathway or a Section 61 request for unlawful status). Ezy Immigration establishes these fees during an initial, individualized consultation based on the amount of legal work your case requires.

Official, comprehensive criteria checklists can be found step-by-step on the Immigration New Zealand website by using their “Explore Visas” tool. Private firms like Ezy Immigration also regularly publish translated procedural guides and regulatory updates on their company blogs to simplify the legal phrasing for applicants.

The most frequent reasons for a visa being declined include:

• Insufficient or unverified funds to support yourself.

• Failure to prove “bona fide” (genuine) intentions, leading immigration officers to believe you might overstay or work illegally on a tourist visa.

• Undisclosed medical conditions or past criminal histories (even minor ones).

• Inconsistencies in paperwork, such as mismatched dates between employment letters and your CV.

How to avoid them: Ensure all supporting evidence (like bank statements and employment contracts) is transparent, clear, and fully verifiable. Utilizing a Licensed Immigration Adviser helps catch these subtle discrepancies before your file reaches an immigration officer’s desk.