Immigration Law - Your Inside News

Laurent Lore

July 2026

Greetings!

There have been several announcements from Immigration New Zealand recently. The articles below touch on just a few of them.

We continue to solve difficult situations for visa applicants and employers. Get in touch if you need professional help. The easiest way to schedule a meeting is through our website's online booking system, where you can arrange a video call or in-person consultation.

Please feel welcome to contact us here at Laurent Law if you would like to discuss any of the topics mentioned in this newsletter.

Simon Laurent

Principal

slaurent@laurentlaw.co.nz

Get your Police Certificate Early

INZ has recently reaffirmed that it requires police certificates to be provided upfront for Student and other Temporary Visa applications.

This has always been the case, but the announcement goes on to say that, ‘if a required police certificate is not included, the application may be declined or, in some cases, granted for a shorter period. INZ will not usually contact applicants to request a missing police certificate’.

This approach indicates that a stronger line will be taken where Police Certificates are not provided upfront with applications. In the past INZ has often accepted applications for lodgement where evidence is provided of Police Certificate(s) having been applied for, but not yet issued.

This has particular implications where it can take time for the authority of a country to issue the Police Certificate. From now on, it will pay to be prepared and allow sufficient time for you to get the actual Police Certificate.

It is clear that it applies to Student Visa applications, but perhaps less so about whether all types of Temporary Visa applications will be dealt with in the same way. We will work on the basis that it covers every type of Temporary Visa.

The Move to Enhanced Immigration Online

For some time now Immigration New Zealand has operated two separate platforms for submitting applications online. The ‘enhanced’ Immigration Online platform was introduced in 2021.

From 1 June 2026, enhanced Immigration Online - commonly referred to as ADEPT - will now be used for the following types of Visa applications:

- Dependent Child Student Visa;

- Partner of a Worker Work Visa;

- Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa;

- Partner of a Student Work Visa;

- Partner of a Student Visitor Visa.

These are quite common types of Visa applications, filed for family members of someone applying (for example) for an Accredited Employer Work Visa. The Immigration New Zealand announcement states,

“We appreciate your support and strongly encourage you to submit new applications through the enhanced Immigration Online system. This will help us ensure you have the best possible processing experience and minimise the risk of delays that may occur when applications are submitted through the old system.”

Immigration New Zealand has also announced that from 24 August 2026, Group and Tour Escort Visitor Visas will also go through ADEPT:

“Other visitor visa applications are already on enhanced Immigration Online. With this transition, we are taking a big step towards having all visitor visa products on this system. The small number of remaining visitor visas will transition with other visa products they are closely linked to.”

The big picture plan is that, in the next few years, all visa applications will move to the ADEPT platform.

Business Investor Work Visa changes create new investment opportunities

Changes to the Business Investor Work Visa have been rolled out, making it easier for experienced business people to invest in and support New Zealand businesses. Effective from 6 July 2026, the changes broaden the range of eligible investments and provide greater flexibility in how investments can be made.

Applicants will now be able to invest in eligible franchise businesses, which is a significant relaxation of the BIV criteria. They will also be able to purchase a business through a New Zealand resident entity, aligning visa settings more closely with standard commercial practices. The updated rules also allow investment funds to come from gifted capital, provided the source of the gift was lawfully earned.

These changes are designed to attract more experienced investors who can bring not only their funds, but also their valuable expertise and connections to international networks for the benefit of the New Zealand economy.