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Summarised by Centrist
Immigration lawyers Pooja Sundar and Stewart Dalley say Immigration New Zealand often gives offshore applicants vague or no reasons for why their temporary visas, such as visitor or family visas, are declined.
Unlike applicants already in New Zealand, offshore applicants generally cannot appeal decisions or respond to concerns before a decision is finalised.
“Where the officer knows in the back of the mind that nobody can review this decision, that’s not subject to an appeal, there’s no reconsideration, then where’s the incentive to make a proper decision?” Dalley said.
Sundar said the system disproportionately affects families seeking short-term visits for events or holidays, even when applicants provide evidence they will return home. She said offshore applicants often face a cycle of reapplying and paying fees again, with little clarity about what went wrong the first time.
“And in that position, the option is to reapply or to make a complaint. But the complaints process isn’t really going to go anywhere,” she said. “A credible system requires transparency, clear reasoning, and a genuine path to challenge flawed decisions.”
Dalley noted immigration decisions are excluded from investigation by the Human Rights Commission. Judicial review in the High Court is often the only option, but it comes at a high cost.
Immigration New Zealand maintains complaints numbers are now at their lowest since a revised feedback system was introduced in 2017.
