Immigration
New Zealand | Visa application fee increases from 1 October 2024
Summary
From 1 October 2024, Immigration New Zealand’s visa application fees across almost all visa categories will increase, to better align with the actual costs of processing visa applications. This change will shift the cost of New Zealand’s immigration system, which has been heavily subsidised by taxpayers, to those benefiting from the system.
The detail
Overview
The New Zealand Government has announced increases to visa charges (government lodgement fees), which are made up of fees and levies, to be introduced on 1 October 2024.
The new charges are set at a level that the Government sees as appropriate for recovering the costs of processing visa applications and reflective of the benefits received by people using the immigration system.
Immigration plays a crucial role in New Zealand’s economy, workforce, and community. It helps reunite families and friends, provides employers with essential skills and resources, contributes to international and humanitarian commitments, and supports border security and integrity. The new charges ensure that those benefiting from the immigration system contribute to its operational costs.
Key changes for employers
Employers planning to recruit migrant workers for temporary and permanent roles should be aware of the following increases in application fees.
The Specific Purpose or Event Work Visa is commonly used to facilitate bringing intra corporate transferees (ICT) and project workers to New Zealand for short-term, specialized work. Meanwhile, the Accredited Employer Work Visa is used for permanent or long-term hires. Increased visa application fees, which will be effective from 1 October 2024, should be factored into assignment or recruitment decisions.
| Summary of fee changes affecting employers and workers | ||
| Type of application | Current total fee (NZD) | New total fee from 1 October 2024 (NZD) |
| Specific Purpose or Event Work Visa* | 735* | 1,355* |
| Accredited Employer Work Visa | 750 | 1,540 |
| Partner of a Worker Work Visa | 700 | 1,355 |
| Employer Accreditation (High Volume) | 1,220 | 1,280 |
| Employer Accreditation (Standard) | 740 | 775 |
| Job Check | 610 | 735 |
| Dependent of a Worker Student Visa | 375 | 750 |
| Dependent of a Worker Visitor Visa | 211 | 341 |
| Skilled Residence | 4,290 | 6,450 |
* The current total fee shown here includes the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of $35, which applies to Specific Purpose or Event Work Visa (SPWV) applications. The total SPWV fee from 1 October 2024 (shown above) does not include the IVL, which is still under review. According to Budget 2024 communications, the IVL may increase, potentially leading to a further rise in the total fee payable for an SPWV application.
A full table of changes to immigration fee and levy rates can be found here.
Contact us
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Jaq Chong
Senior Manager
Kim Gibbs
Manager
Simply follow our Vialto Alerts page on LinkedIn and posts will be displayed on your feed. To ensure you don’t miss one, once you’re on our LinkedIn page, click on the bell icon under the banner image to manage your notifications.
Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com
Vialto Partners (“Vialto”) refers to wholly owned subsidiaries of CD&R Galaxy UK OpCo Limited as well as the other members of the Vialto Partners global network. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Vialto is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Vialto, its related entities, or the agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this document or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
© 2025 Vialto Partners. All rights reserved.