New Zealand Government increases fees for visitor and working holiday visas

Visa fees across nearly all categories for visitors and migrants entering New Zealand will dramatically increase from 1st October.

The New Zealand Government’s new fee structure will see the cost of a Visitor Visa rise by $130 to $341 per person (a 61% increase) and a Working Holiday Visa rise by $250 to $670 per person (a 59% increase).

Migrants applying for the skilled residence category will be charged $6450, up from $4290 currently; partners applying for residency will see their fees climb to $5360, up from $2750; student visas will double from $375 to $750 and post-study work visas will jump from $700 to $1670.

However, applicants from Pacific countries will largely avoid the increase with their visa fees to be subsidised, which New Zealand Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said was due to "New Zealand's ongoing commitment to supporting its Pacific neighbours".

In a statement, Minister Stanford said the move would free up more than $563 million over the next four years, stating “the changes we're making are shifting the cost to those benefiting from the system. We're ensuring it is self-funding and more efficient.”

She added that the new charges also reflected the increased cost of assessing more high-risk applications and dealing with higher levels of migrant exploitation, as well as IT upgrade costs, Stanford said.

TIA expresses disappointment over fee rise
In response, Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) expressed “deep disappointment” with the increases in fees for Visitor Visas and Working Holiday Visas.

Advising that the fee changes come at a time when the tourism industry is striving to recover, TIA Chief Executive, Rebecca Ingram commented "the substantial increases in visa fees are a blow for our industry. These additional costs will create a barrier that will deter visitors from choosing New Zealand.

"We are particularly concerned about the cumulative effect of these fees, which we believe will have a material impact on visitor numbers, a vital workforce and the economic contributions they bring.

"We urge the Government to factor in the broader economic benefits that international visitors bring and our export earnings, rather than focusing solely on making the immigration system self-funding at the expense of our tourism sector.”