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Many categories of visitors will require a general visitor visa and group visitor visa to come to New Zealand. For example, holidaymakers and people visiting their relatives and friends.
Like with all other temporary class visas, the applicants for visitor visas need to show their genuine intent of a temporary stay and lawful purpose of that stay (such applicants are called 'bona fide'), who have compelling reasons to leave New Zealand before the expiry of their visa.
Essentially it means that when you apply for a New Zealand visitor visa you will need to show Immigration New Zealand that you have no reasons to overstay and become unlawful. To that end, it may be sufficient to reveal how strong your ties with your home country are, whether you have a job there, a property or family members to take care of.
The maximum duration of stay on a general visitor visa is 9 months, with a few exceptions, for example, for the following:
| genuine tourists requiring no more than additional 3 months |
| special categories of visitor visas |
| when it is impossible to leave New Zealand for the reasons beyond the visitor's control (a recent example here is a COVID-19 quarantine and related travel restrictions). |
| the holder of a visitor visa has applied for residence (initial application) and it is likely to take longer to consider the application |
The answer is – you may need to apply for a group visa.
These differ slightly from general visitor visas in the sense that the usual stay is for up to 1 month and the purpose of the visit should be shared by all group members.
Another important difference is that a lion’s share of the requirements will be covered by the supporting New Zealand party, which means the process for visitor group visa applicants will be less cumbersome.
Regardless of the type of visitor visa you may bear in mind, our highly professional team will make it as easy as pie for you. Book your online appointment today and choose the time that suits you best.
