Immigration NZ to raise visa costs

The coalition Government is creating a more sustainable immigration system by adjusting international visa costs, says Immigration Minister Erica Stanford.

“Until now, our immigration system has been heavily subsidised by taxpayers. The changes we’re making are shifting the cost to those benefitting from the system. We’re ensuring it is self-funding and more efficient,” Stanford says.

From October 1, new visa charges will be introduced across almost all visa categories, freeing up more than $563 million for the Crown over the next four years.

“The new charges reflect the costs associated with visa processing, assessing and managing more high-risk applications, and increased compliance costs as we deal with higher levels of migrant exploitation, managing more asylum claims, and maintaining and upgrading Immigration New Zealand’s ICT systems.

“New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to supporting its Pacific neighbours will see the continuation of subsidised fees for visa applicants from Pacific countries.

“We expect that once further improvements are made to modernise immigration systems in the coming years, the running costs will reduce over time and efficiencies will improve.

“The charges remain competitive in comparison to countries like Australia and the United Kingdom so we are confident New Zealand will continue to be an attractive destination to live, work, study and visit.

“This is another step the Government is taking to restore fiscal discipline and rebuild the economy,” Stanford says.