Update on the Processing Steps for RV 21 and Secondary Applicant

May 19, 2022

The updated Immigration Online system has new features that make it easier to get things done.

It makes the process of applying for a visa easier by streamlining tasks that are done over and over again. This lets people focus on tasks that require judgement. Immigration Officers are no longer allocated an entire application, and allocation is no longer the first step as many others may assess an application simultaneously.

The processing steps commence as soon as the application is received.If immigration instructions are followed, the system may fully automate visa processing or trigger manual tasks for assessment.

The steps below show what needs to happen before an Immigration Officer looks at a Resident Visa application for 2021.

1. The improved Immigration Online system receives the application.
2. The applicant is asked to upload any supporting documents that are needed.
3. Completed identity checks with copies of receipts made and sent to the applicant’s Immigration Online account.
4. Checks with the NZ police and/or national security are completed.
5. Checks with the Immigration Health System are completed, and more health information is requested if required.
6. The case is assessed by an Immigration Officer, and if no more information is required, a decision is made on the application.

The steps for processing may be different for different types of visas on enhanced Immigration Online.

You can check the progress of your applications by logging in to your Immigration Online dashboard. Any requests for more information will also come through the dashboard.

A complete guide to enhanced immigration online can be found here.

Questions regarding application:

The status of an application can now be viewed at any moment via the Immigration Online dashboard. The Additional Documents field of the Immigration Online system is not to be used to ask questions about an application, as these will not be answered.  Information can be found on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website or call the Immigration Contact Center for further information.

Update on the secondary applicant: indicate

Some applicants have specified that they want to include a secondary applicant in the 2021 Resident Visa application under Phase 2, but they didn’t. INZ will contact such applicants before the application can be processed further.

These updates are in preparation for the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme to open applications for employer accreditation.

Employer accreditation applications will open at 10 a.m. on Monday, 23 May 2022. On 4 July 2022, applications for the new AEWV visa will open.

For details about the AEWV, please click here. To better understand the above changes to the immigration instructions and to learn more about them, kindly get in touch Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at [email protected] or call on +64 09 3790219.  Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.