Immigration New Zealand Pauses Visa Processing; NZeTA Applications Remain Available

Immigration New Zealand said on November 13, 2026, that it had paused processing of all visa applications until further notice after the Microsoft outage began the previous day. Immigration New Zealand has not given a date for visa processing to restart.

The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) request service remains open. Visa applicants should check the agency’s service updates, while travellers who need a new travel authorization can apply through the official app or online service and allow up to 72 hours.

The pause applies to visa processing across categories, with no exemptions listed in the announcement. People who have already submitted visitor, work or student applications may wait longer for decisions.

The disruption also affects a filing route. New applications cannot currently be submitted through Enhanced Immigration Online, which handles several visa categories. The agency has not said that every other application system is unavailable.

The pause covers visa processing, while some application systems have a separate status

The immediate effect depends on what a traveller or applicant is trying to do. Processing of existing cases is paused, and the online filing issue specifically concerns Enhanced Immigration Online.

The scheduled system changes have a separate timetable. They were moved back by one week, but that date is not a resumption date for visa decisions.

The announcement followed an outage that began November 12, 2026. The agency apologized and said circumstances beyond its control caused the disruption. It gave no date for visa processing to resume.

That distinction between processing and filing matters for people who have not yet submitted an application. Enhanced Immigration Online is unavailable for new filings, but the agency did not identify every other application channel as offline. Applicants should check official service updates before deciding how to proceed.

The travel authority remains available and is separate from visa processing

The agency says travellers can still apply for the travel authorization, and the service is functioning normally. That service is distinct from the visa-processing pause.

An NZeTA is a travel condition for people using New Zealand’s visa-waiver arrangements, not a visa itself. It gives the authorities information before travel and assesses eligibility to travel. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment guidance describes its role and conditions.

The requirement introduced in 2019 applies to visa-waiver nationalities, with exceptions for Australian citizens, commercial aircraft crew, and cruise passengers and crew. Visitors can make multiple trips using an authorization valid for two years. Crew may use one for five years if they remain with the same employer and their passport remains valid.

The authority may be declined or withdrawn in circumstances described in the government guidance. The validity of an authorization already issued during the current disruption remains unclear.

Request the authorization before check-in and allow up to 72 hours

Travellers who need one can apply through the official app or the Immigration New Zealand website. The app itself is free to use; the request fee still applies.

1. Apply in the official app for a fee of $17, or use the agency website for $23. Both routes also carry the $100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy.
2. Allow up to 72 hours for a decision, although many requests are processed sooner. A friend or family member can help submit a request.
3. An authorized Visa Application Centre can also submit a request. The transit guidance lists a separate $14 service fee for that option; the NZeTA request fee and levy also apply.
4. Have an approved authorization before flight check-in if one is required. Travellers without one at check-in will not be allowed to board. A request made at the airport may not finish in time or may be refused.

Some travellers do not need this authorization. Australian citizens are exempt, and the agency’s transit guidance says holders of valid New Zealand visas do not need one. Many other visa-waiver travellers do need an approved authorization before travelling.

Three planned immigration system changes are scheduled for November 23

The delayed measures concern particular application routes and visa provisions. They were originally scheduled for November 16, 2026, and are now due to take effect on November 23, 2026.

• Temporary visa applications from certain family members of New Zealand citizens are due to move onto Enhanced Immigration Online.
• Provisions for the Short-term Graduate Work Visa and the Post-Study Work Visa have been delayed. The Short-term Graduate Work Visa launch shifted by one week.
• Applicants for Visitor Visas and Accredited Employer Work Visas are due to gain an expanded option to provide digital passport copies. The change is intended to improve the collection of biographical information and the accuracy of visa records.

Applicants waiting for these changes should distinguish the scheduled system updates from the separate pause in case processing. The agency has not tied the scheduled date for those changes to a date for visa decisions to restart.

The Chinese visitor trial uses the same authorization but has its own conditions

A separate arrangement for eligible Chinese visitors illustrates how the travel authorization can fit into a visa-waiver route. The trial began on November 3, 2025, for eligible visitors travelling from Australia.

The government fact sheet set a 12-month term beginning in early November 2025. It required a Chinese passport, a valid Australian visitor, work, student or family visa, and travel from Australia to New Zealand on each visit. People only transiting through Australia were excluded from that arrangement.

Eligible visitors could stay for up to three months, but the authorization did not permit work for a New Zealand employer. From October 27, 2025, Chinese visitors could also transit through New Zealand using the travel authorization rather than a transit visa. The published 12-month trial period has passed, and its status beyond that term is unclear.

The fact sheet compared a combined authorization and levy cost of $117–$123 with $441 for a Visitor Visa plus the levy. It also cited an average of five working days for China visitor visa processing as at June 2025, compared with authorization requests that generally take up to 72 hours and often finish sooner. Those figures relate to the trial’s published comparison, not the standard fees listed for new requests above.

Travellers with near-term departures should check service updates

The disruption affected Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Outlook and Teams. Microsoft said it was working to restore infrastructure and stabilize traffic. Some services had improved, but the timing for full restoration remained unclear; Microsoft said it had found no evidence of a cyberattack causing the incident.

Other governments described separate effects. Singapore reported delays to some government requests, while its SG Arrival Card and Singpass services remained operational. Australia reported service disruptions but did not announce a halt to visa, eVisitor or Electronic Travel Authority applications because of the incident.

Visa applicants and people with imminent trips should check official agency updates for service availability and processing times. Travellers who need a new authorization can use the official app or website and should leave up to 72 hours for processing.