16 June 2026
Ref: DOIA-REQ-0033229-Aj Wright
Aj Wright
Email:
[FYI request #34737 email]
Tēnā koe Aj,
Thank you for your email of 18 May 2026 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
I am requesting information relating to visa overstayers and student visa compliance within New Zealand.
I request the following information regarding individuals currently believed to be unlawfully in New
Zealand due to overstaying the conditions or duration of their visas:
The total number of known or estimated visa overstayers currently in New Zealand.
A breakdown of overstayers by the length of time they have remained unlawfully in New Zealand,
including:
More than 6 months
More than 1 year
More than 2 years
More than 5 years
More than 10 years
The age demographics of these overstayers, including:
Under 18
18–24
25–34
35–44
45–54
55+
The countries of origin or citizenship of overstayers, including a breakdown by nationality where available.
The regions, cities, or districts within New Zealand where overstayers are known or believed to be residing,
where such information is recorded.
Information on the methods and processes Immigration New Zealand uses to identify, monitor, locate,
and deport or repatriate visa overstayers, including:
Compliance operations
Data matching with other agencies
Workplace inspections
Community reporting mechanisms
Border alerts
Cooperation with overseas authorities
The number of deportations or removals carried out in the past five years relating specifically to visa
overstayers.
The estimated costs incurred annually by Immigration New Zealand relating to:
Locating overstayers
Compliance investigations
Deportation and repatriation processes
The number of compliance officers or investigators employed specifically for immigration compliance and
overstayer investigations.
Information regarding individuals currently in New Zealand on student visas, including:
Total number of active student visa holders
Countries of origin
Age demographics
Institutions attended where available
Information on how Immigration New Zealand monitors and enforces student visa work limitations,
including:
How compliance with the 20-hour-per-week work restriction is verified
Whether payroll, tax, or IRD information is used for compliance checks
The number of investigations conducted into student visa work breaches in the past five years
The number of student visas cancelled or enforcement actions taken due to breaches of work conditions
Information regarding employers found to have knowingly employed individuals in breach of visa
conditions, including:
Number of investigations
Number of prosecutions or penalties issued
Industries most commonly involved
Any available statistics regarding:
Overstayers involved in criminal offending
Overstayers currently serving prison sentences or on corrections orders
Instances where overstayers have later obtained residency or other legal status
Copies of any current policies, operational manuals, or guidance documents relating to:
Visa overstayer enforcement
Student visa compliance monitoring
Risk assessment procedures for unlawful migrants
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under the Act, I request that the remaining information
still be released where possible.
I would prefer the information in electronic format where available.
I am writing to advise you that MBIE will provide a response but needs to extend the time available to
answer your request. MBIE’s response will be sent to you no later than 30 June 2026.
The reason for the extension is that your request is for a large quantity of information and meeting the
original time limit would unreasonably interfere with our operations.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please con
tact [email address].
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of our decision to extend the
time limit. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Michael Carley
Business Support Manager
Immigration Compliance and Investigations
