Changes to New Zealand Immigration Visa Fees and Levies

The New Zealand government announced last week that on top of visa application fees being raised from 1^st October 2024, the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will also increase. Most international visitors applying for a visa or NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) to enter New Zealand need to pay a non-refundable IVL. The current charge of $35.00 NZD per person is increasing to $100.00 NZD.

The non-refundable levy is charged for most visitor visas, some student visas and short-term work visas. It is collected through Immigration New Zealand, with travellers paying it alongside visa or NZeTA fees. People exempt from paying the levy include Australian citizens and permanent residents, and people from a range of the Pacific Island countries.

The increase in visa application fees that was announced last month affects a range of visa types across multiple categories. We highly recommended submitting visa applications prior to the 1^st October 2024 to avoid the higher charges that will affect accredited businesses and individuals and families wishing to enter or stay in New Zealand.

At Goldman Legal we regularly assist with investor and family based residence applications which include the following fee increases:

1. Active Investor Plus Category from $4,750 to $12,070;
2. Entrepreneur Residence Category from $3,710 to $11,320;
3. Parent Retirement Category from $3,710 to $9,430; and
4. Partnership-based Resident Category from $,2750 to $5,360

The full announcement plus the list of visa types and the corresponding fee increases can be found  in the link below but if you would like to discuss this with us, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Goldman Legal on [email protected] .

Link to Immigration New Zealand announcement

Table of Changes to Fee and Levy Rates