Archive · 21 Jan 2026
New Zealand processes 1 million visas in 2025
In 2025, New Zealand's immigration system had its busiest year ever.
They processed over 1 million visas, which is a lot!
They also made the process faster.
For example, visitor visas now take only 5 days instead of 7.
They approved most of the visas, like 89% of visitor visas and 98% of working holiday visas.
They also helped over 1,500 refugees settle in New Zealand.
Additionally, they introduced five new types of visas to attract investors, support families, and fill labor gaps.
They used new technology to make the process easier and faster.
In 2026, they plan to keep improving the system and making it easier for people to use.
New Zealand processed over 1 million visas in 2025, a record high.
Processing times for visas were significantly reduced, with visitor visas taking 5 days and student visas taking 12 days.
Five new visa categories were introduced to attract investors, support businesses, and address labor shortages.
Over 1,500 refugees were resettled in New Zealand, and 13.4 million border movements were facilitated.
The agency used new technology to improve the visa application process, making it more efficient and user-friendly.
- Who
- Immigration New Zealand (INZ)
- What
- Processed over 1 million visas, introduced new visa categories, and improved processing times
- When
- 2025
- Where
- New Zealand
- Why
- To meet economic needs, support businesses, and address seasonal labor shortages
- Total visas processed
- 1,000,000
- Visitor visa approval rate
- 89%
- Student visa approval rate
- 91%
- Working holiday visa approval rate
- 98%
- RSE visa approval rate
- 99%
- New visa categories introduced
- 5
- Border movements facilitated
- 13,400,000
- Accredited employers
- 27,000
