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NZ Visa Declined: Reconsideration, IPT Appeals and Reapplying

Which routes exist after a decline depends on the visa type and where the person is. Temporary visa declines can be reconsidered by INZ in limited cases (14 days, NZD 220); residence declines can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (42 days, NZD 964).

A decline letter from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) starts several clocks at once, and some of them are short. New Zealand has different review routes for temporary visas and residence class visas, a separate process for people whose visa has already expired, and strict deadlines that the Tribunal says it cannot extend. This guide maps the routes as INZ and the Ministry of Justice publish them, with the fees and time limits as read on 9 October 2026. It explains how each route works; whether any of them fits a particular decline depends on the facts, which is what a licensed adviser or lawyer assesses.

Two tracks: temporary visas and residence class visas

INZ splits declines into two groups on its "If your visa is declined" page.

Temporary visas (to visit, work or study): INZ says that "in some cases you can ask us to reconsider our decision." This is an internal review by INZ.

Residence class visas (to live in New Zealand): INZ says that "in some cases you may appeal the decision with the Immigration and Protection Tribunal." The Tribunal is independent of INZ and run by the Ministry of Justice. Residence class visas include the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, the Straight to Residence Visa and the Permanent Resident Visa.

A third situation sits beside these: a person whose visa has expired is in New Zealand unlawfully, and the routes then are a section 61 request to INZ and, in some cases, a deportation appeal to the Tribunal. Those have their own pages.

Temporary visa declines: INZ reconsideration

INZ's page "How to get a temporary visa decision reviewed" sets the conditions. A declined work, student or visitor visa can only be reconsidered if all of these apply:

the applicant applied for the visa while in New Zealand;

they are still in New Zealand when they make the request;

they still hold a valid visa, which can be an Interim Visa; and

INZ receives the request "no more than 14 calendar days after you received our decision to decline your visa."

The fee is NZD 220. INZ's fee finder shows 80% of reconsiderations completed within 4 weeks (read 9 October 2026). INZ emails the applicant if they can apply online; otherwise the request is a signed letter in English explaining everything to be considered, with supporting evidence, the passport or certificate of identity, and card details for the fee.

The review is done by a different officer from the one who declined the application. INZ says: "If our first decision was wrong, we will give you a visa. If our first decision was correct, you will not be given a visa." A confirmed decline cannot be reconsidered a second time.

INZ also notes that where a person's situation has changed since the decline, the route it describes is a new application with all the relevant information, rather than a reconsideration.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa has its own reconsideration product in the fee finder, also NZD 220, requested through Immigration Online.

Offshore temporary declines

The reconsideration conditions above require the applicant to have applied from inside New Zealand and to still be there. INZ's reconsideration page does not describe a review route for temporary visas applied for from outside New Zealand, and the fee finder notes that a person "must be in New Zealand to request reconsideration of a declined work, student or visitor visa."

INZ's decline pages read on 9 October 2026 do not set a general waiting period before a new application. Whether a fresh application is worth making, and what it would need to address, depends on the reasons in the decline letter and the person's circumstances.

Staying lawful while a temporary decision is reviewed

Two rules from INZ's pages interact here.

An Interim Visa, if one was granted while the application was being decided, "will expire 21 days after your application is declined."

A reconsideration request "does not stop your current visa expiring." INZ says a person without a valid visa is breaking the law, but that INZ "will not start the deportation process if we are still reviewing our decision about your application."

If a reconsideration confirms the decline, INZ says a person with a valid visa can apply for any visa that fits the purpose of their stay, and a person whose visa has expired must leave New Zealand.

The deportation appeal clock also connects to reconsideration. INZ's deportation page says that where a person asked for reconsideration while they still held a current visa, the 42 days for a deportation appeal count from the later of the day they became unlawful and the day they received confirmation of the reconsideration decision.

Residence declines: appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal

INZ and the Tribunal's Guide 1 describe the residence appeal:

Who: a person whose residence class visa application was declined, unless the decision was based on them being an excluded person. The same appeal covers a residence visa cancelled while the holder was outside New Zealand, refusal of entry to a resident visa holder, and certain decisions by the Minister based on classified information.

Grounds: that the decision was not correct, and/or that the person has special circumstances that warrant an exception to residence instructions.

Deadline: the Tribunal must receive the appeal, including the fee, within 42 days of the date INZ or the Minister notified the decision. The Tribunal "cannot extend the timeframe".

Fee: NZD 964 including GST, according to the Tribunal's forms and fees page. Dependent children under 18 are included at no extra fee. The fee cannot be waived.

Form: Form 1 – Residence Appeal, online or on paper.

Time to decide: the Tribunal says residence appeals "are generally being determined within 12 to 13 months" of receipt (updated 1 October 2026).

The appeal is decided on the papers, and a pending appeal does not keep the person's visa alive. INZ says a person without a valid visa while appealing is unlawfully in New Zealand and "the deportation process can still start."

Visa already expired: section 61

For someone in New Zealand unlawfully, INZ describes a section 61 request under the Immigration Act 2009. It is a written request emailed to s61@mbie.govt.nz. INZ says there is no obligation to consider it, no guarantee of a visa and no right of appeal, and that the person remains liable for deportation while it is with INZ.

The fee is charged only if INZ decides to grant a visa: NZD 640 for a temporary visa or NZD 1,510 for a residence class visa (fee finder, read 9 October 2026).

The deadlines side by side

These are the time limits published by INZ and the Ministry of Justice, as read on 9 October 2026:

Temporary visa reconsideration (in New Zealand): request received within 14 calendar days of receiving the decline. NZD 220.

Interim Visa after a decline: expires 21 days after the application is declined.

Residence appeal to the IPT: received within 42 days of notification. NZD 964.

Deportation appeal, unlawful non-resident: received within 42 days from the day after the person last held a visa (adjusted for reconsideration, above). NZD 964.

Deportation appeal after a deportation liability notice for some reasons: 28 days.

High Court, after an IPT decision: application for leave to appeal or judicial review within 28 days of notification, or the Tribunal's decision becomes final.

INZ also says a person who stays unlawfully for 42 days or more "may be banned from returning to New Zealand."

Counting rules differ by route. Reconsideration uses calendar days. The Tribunal's 42 days include weekends but exclude listed public holidays, 25 December to 2 January, and the regional anniversary day where the person lives.

When an adviser or lawyer is usually brought in

The decision about which route, if any, applies to a particular decline is immigration advice under New Zealand law, and only a licensed immigration adviser, a lawyer or an exempt person can give it. People usually bring one in at the point where a deadline is running: before a 14-day reconsideration window closes, early in a 42-day appeal window so evidence can be gathered, or immediately on receiving a deportation liability notice.

A typical engagement starts with a review of the decline letter and the file, then a written agreement on scope and fees before work begins, then preparation of the request or appeal. The Tribunal's guides say a representative can be a lawyer or a licensed adviser, including one outside New Zealand, and that only lawyers can act in a court such as the High Court.

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the IAA's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or route fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

My NZ visa was declined. When can I apply again?

INZ's decline pages read on 9 October 2026 do not set a general waiting period before a new application. They do say a person with a valid visa can apply for any visa that fits their purpose, and that someone who stays unlawfully for 42 days or more may be banned from returning. What a new application needs depends on the reasons for the decline.

How long does reconsideration of a declined NZ visa take?

INZ's fee finder showed 80% of temporary visa reconsiderations completed within 4 weeks (read 9 October 2026). The fee is NZD 220 and the request must reach INZ within 14 calendar days of receiving the decline.

Can I ask for reconsideration if I applied from outside New Zealand?

INZ's conditions require the applicant to have applied while in New Zealand and to still be in New Zealand when making the request. Its reconsideration page does not describe a review route for temporary visas applied for offshore.

Can a declined visitor visa be appealed to the IPT?

INZ describes the Immigration and Protection Tribunal appeal for residence class visa declines. For temporary visas such as visitor, work and student visas, the route it describes is reconsideration by INZ, in limited cases.

Does the 42-day IPT deadline include weekends?

Yes. The Tribunal's Guide 1 says the 42 days include Saturdays and Sundays but exclude listed public holidays, the period from 25 December to 2 January, and the anniversary day for the area where the person lives.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Reconsideration of a Declined NZ Visa: How the Rules Work — INZ can reconsider a declined work, student or visitor visa only if the person applied in New Zealand, is still there, still holds a valid visa (an Interim Visa counts) and INZ receives the request within 14 calendar days of the decline. The fee is NZD 220 and there is one review only.
  • IPT Residence Appeals: 42 Days, NZD 964 and Form 1 — A declined residence class visa can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on the grounds that the decision was wrong and/or special circumstances. The Tribunal must receive Form 1 and the NZD 964 fee within 42 days of notification, it cannot extend that deadline, and appeals are currently taking 12 to 13 months.
  • Deportation Liability Notices in NZ: Reasons and Appeal Deadlines — A person can become liable for deportation by staying after a visa expires or through a deportation liability notice. Appeals go to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, which must receive them within 28 or 42 days depending on the reason, and cannot accept late appeals.
  • Section 61 Requests in New Zealand: How They Work — A section 61 request asks INZ to grant a visa to someone in New Zealand unlawfully. INZ is not obliged to consider it, gives no reasons, has no time frame and there is no appeal; a fee of NZD 640 (temporary) or NZD 1,510 (residence) is charged only if INZ decides to grant.
  • AEWV Declined: What the Options Are — A declined AEWV can be reconsidered by INZ for NZD 220 if the worker applied in New Zealand and meets the 14-calendar-day rule; a declined employer job check or accreditation can be reconsidered for NZD 250 within 14 days of the day after the decline. Otherwise INZ describes a new application.
  • NZ Interim Visas: When They Start and What They Allow — INZ normally grants an Interim Visa automatically, for no fee, if a temporary visa expires while a new temporary visa application is being assessed. It starts the day after the old visa expires, lasts up to 6 months, ends if the holder leaves New Zealand, and its work and study conditions depend on the old and new visa types.