Tuesday, August 13, 2024 The New Zealand government will implement significant visa fee increases starting on 1 October 2024, affecting nearly all visa categories. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announced that these changes aim to create a more sustainable immigration system by shifting the financial responsibility from taxpayers to visa applicants. A report by ICEF Monitor indicates that these adjustments are projected to reduce public funding needs by more than NZ$563 million (US$338 million) over the next four years.
Minister Stanford highlighted that the current immigration system has been largely subsidized by taxpayers. “We are shifting the cost to those who benefit from the system, ensuring it becomes self-funding and more efficient,” she stated. Although the higher fees will cover the expenses of visa processing and managing higher-risk applications, the Minister pointed out that New Zealand’s visa charges will remain competitive compared to those in Australia and the United Kingdom, maintaining the country’s appeal for students, workers, and tourists.
Increase in Overseas Visitor Arrivals New Zealand also saw a substantial increase in overseas visitor arrivals in the December 2023 year, reaching 2.96 million, an increase of 1.52 million from the December 2022 year.
The most significant changes were in arrivals from Australia, which rose by 429,000 to 1.26 million, and from the United States, which increased by 227,000 to 337,000. In the year ended March .