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Immigration New Zealand is expecting to receive more than 260,000 visitor visa applications over the summer peak processing period and is encouraging prospective travellers to submit their visitor visa applications as soon as possible.
INZ director visa Jock Gilray says given the high volumes of visitor visa applications expected applying early is essential to ensure people travelling to New Zealand have the peace of mind of knowing their visa is sorted before they make their travel arrangements.
“New Zealanders are looking forward to welcoming friends, family and tourists from all over the world this summer.
That’s why we are asking that anyone who plans to travel to New Zealand for Christmas to submit their application no later than October 15, 2024.
“Anyone travelling in the New Year, including Chinese Lunar New Year, should submit their application no later than November 15, 2024.”
Applications submitted after these dates may not be processed in time for their intended travel dates.
In addition to submitting applications well in advance, INZ strongly encourages travellers to provide complete applications with all necessary documentation as this helps the speed of application processing.
“Applications that are missing supporting documents or English translations are more likely to be declined,” says Jock.
“Making a complete visitor visa application early means you will receive your visa decision sooner, enabling you to spend more time planning your trip to New Zealand.”
