Visa
The transition deadline has passed
Selected visitor visa application forms in Immigration New Zealand’s older online system closed on 8 October 2026. Under the transition announced on 11 August, remaining drafts for those forms were to be deleted. Anyone who still wishes to apply after that closure needs to start an application in enhanced Immigration Online. This report concerns a deadline reached this week, rather than a newly announced policy.
From 24 September, new applications for the specified products stopped being created in the older system. The list includes the standard Visitor Visa, Business Visitor Visa and specialist visitor categories. Applicants should check the exact list instead of assuming every visitor or family visa uses the same arrangements.
Submitted applications are treated differently
An already submitted application does not automatically need to be filed again. INZ states that submitted cases remain accessible in the older system for uploading documents and responding to requests until a decision is communicated. An unfinished draft and a submitted application therefore require different next steps.
Preparing to apply again
Before beginning again, assemble the records used in the draft and make a checklist of information that may need updating. Confirm which account and application system the selected visa uses, and keep a record of the new submission confirmation. These are editorial organisation suggestions, rather than additional INZ requirements. Use the official product instructions to determine what evidence is actually required.
