Essential Skills Visa processing to take longer

Following the coronavirus outbreak in China Immigration NZ closed their office in Beijing until further notice.

This has limited the number of Immigration Officers available to process visa applications.

Staff resources have been reallocated and visitor visa applications moved around the globe in an effort to start processing those applications affected by Beijing's closure.

As a result the processing of Essential Skills work visa applications will be impacted. Expect the allocation time (when the application gets onto the desk of an Immigration Officer to start processing) to extend out from 10 days to 6 weeks or more.

Applying early and making sure an application is 100% right at the time it is lodged is critical to get the fastest possible decision. Incomplete applications will create much longer delays.