30 June 2025
Immigration Trust
[FYI request #31035 email]
DOIA-REQ-0014550
Tēnā koe Immigration Trust
Thank you for your email of 20 May 2025 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:
I hereby request the following information regarding offshore visitor visa applications
processed by Immigration New Zealand:
-The total number of offshore visitor visa applications received and decided each year over
the past five years
-The top five nationalities by application volume for offshore visitor visas
-The top three most common reasons for visa declines
-The internal checklist or assessment framework used by Immigration New Zealand officers
to determine whether an offshore visitor visa applicant is considered bona fide
On 18 June 2025, we advised you that MBIE had assessed and decided to grant your request and would
provide you the requested information as soon as it is ready and without undue delay.
Our Response
Please refer to the Appendix at the end of this response for the requested data.
Reporting limitations mean that Immigration New Zealand is unable to report on the reason for
applications being declined without a manual review of the applications. I have considered whether
the Ministry would be able to respond to your request given extra time or the ability to charge for
the information requested. I have concluded that, in both cases, the Ministry’s ability to undertake
its work would still be prejudiced.
Guidance for staff on the considerations and procedures to follow when assessing whether a person
is a ‘bona fide applicant’ can be found here:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/document
s/internal-administration-circulars/iac-2013-09.pdf
The guidance is intended to support immigration officers when assessing and processing temporary
entry class visas, whether the visa application is made inside or outside of New Zealand.
More information on the requirement to be a 'bona fide applicant' intending a temporary stay in New
Zealand can be found here:
Operational Manual - Immigration New Zealand. Issue Date: 23 June
2025Operational Manual - Immigration New Zealand. Issue Date: 22 August 2016
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800
802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact
[email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Marcelle Foley
Acting Director Visa
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Appendix
Table 1: The total number of offshore visitor visa applications received and decided each year between
1 January 2020 and 8 June 2025, as at 9 June 2025.
Calendar year
Number of
Submitted applications
Decided applications
2020
78,425
95,981
2021
33,948
35,179
2022
161,534
141,030
2023
485,936
482,849
2024
503,580
509,259
2025
183,003
192,424
Total
1,446,425
1,456,721
Please note that the numbers of decided applications are the total number of decisions for each
year, irrelevant of their submission date.
Table 2: The top five nationalities of applicants who submitted an offshore visitor visa application
between 1 January 2020 and 8 June 2025, as at 9 June 2025.
Calendar year
Nationality
Number of applications
2020
China
23,873
India
14,178
Thailand
4,739
Philippines
4,183
United States of America
2,993
2021
China
6,721
India
3,675
United States of America
2,831
Great Britain
2,638
Russia
2,574
2022
India
39,405
China
29,377
Fiji
13,842
Philippines
13,729
South Africa
9,793
2023
China
214,522
India
108,144
Philippines
25,853
Fiji
18,394
Thailand
17,218
2024
China
253,212
India
80,025
Philippines
26,678
Fiji
17,728
Thailand
16,613
2025
China
89,769
India
28,728
Philippines
10,920
Thailand
7,258
Indonesia
5,904
Table 3: The top three reasons for offshore visitor visa declines between 1 January 2020 and 8 June
2025, as at 9 June 2025.
Calendar year
Reasons for decline
Number of applications
2020
Declined Failed Instructions
6,332
Declined Failed Other
28
Declined Failed Medical
55
2021
Declined Failed Instructions
2,060
Declined Failed Character
5
Declined Failed Medical
2
2022
Declined Failed Instructions
4,994
Declined
1,638
Declined Failed Medical
11
2023
Declined
47,978
Declined Failed Instructions
14,306
Declined Failed Other
122
2024
Declined
43,130
Declined Failed Instructions
11,974
Declined Failed Other
454
2025
Declined
16,331
Declined Failed Instructions
4,066
Declined Failed Other
217
