New Zealand clears 1 million visas in 2025, cuts student and work waits

More than one million visas were decided in 2025 as processing times fell across visitor, student and work categories, according to Immigration New Zealand

New Zealand’s immigration system recorded its busiest year on record in 2025, processing more than one million visa decisions while cutting processing times and expanding visa pathways, according to government agency Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

 

Applications were cleared across visitor, work, student and residence categories. More than 1,500 refugees were supported to resettle during the year, and five new visa categories were introduced, alongside continued border enforcement and compliance activity.

 

Faster decisions across major visa streams

 

Processing times fell across key visa categories. Visitor visas were decided in an average of five working days, compared with seven in 2024. International student visas averaged 12 working days, down from 18 a year earlier.

   

Processing times for the Accredited Employer Work Visa dropped to 12 working days from 23, almost halving wait periods for employers and applicants.

 

Officials said in a statement, quicker decisions improved certainty for applicants while maintaining decision quality and risk controls.

 

High volumes and approval rates

 

INZ decided more than 470,000 visitor visa applications in 2025, approving 89%. Student visa decisions crossed 97,000, with a 91% approval rate. Around 45,000 working holiday visas were processed, with 98% approved.

 

Seasonal labour demand continued through the year. More than 18,000 Recognised Seasonal Employer applications were processed, with a 99% approval rate.

 

The agency also issued more than 1.6 million New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority approvals. This included over 31,000 eligible Chinese and Pacific nationals travelling from Australia under relaxed entry settings.

 

New visa categories rolled out

 

Five new visa categories were introduced during the year. These included:

 

• Active investor visa

• Business investor visa

• Parent boost visitor visa

• Global workforce seasonal visa

• Peak seasonal visa

 

Officials said the new categories were introduced to support investment, help businesses recruit workers, manage seasonal labour demand and support family connections.

 

Employers, borders and compliance activity

 

More than 13.4 million border movements were facilitated during the year. Over 17,500 employers either became newly accredited or renewed accreditation under the Accredited Employer Work Visa system, taking the total number of accredited employers beyond 27,000.

 

INZ carried out nearly 2,500 post-accreditation checks covering more than 2,300 employers. About 43,000 AEWV applications were decided, with a 91% approval rate.

 

Enforcement activity continued alongside visa processing. During 2025, INZ prosecuted 16 people across 11 investigations, issued 151 infringement notices totalling NZ$520,000, and made 1,330 asylum decisions. The agency also resettled 550 people under the Refugee Family Support Category.

 

Digital changes to visa processing

 

Student visa applications moved to an upgraded online platform under the Our Future Services programme. The change allows applicants to track their applications in real-time and receive decisions more quickly.

 

INZ said this marked the first milestone in building a more productive and cost-effective immigration system, while continuing to manage immigration risk.

 

Focus for the year ahead

 

Officials said the outcomes in 2025 were delivered with support from system partners and stakeholders. The focus in 2026 will remain on keeping the system straightforward to use, responsive to economic conditions, and consistent with New Zealand’s humanitarian commitments, alongside ongoing border safeguards.