How To Track New Zealand Visa Application

By Tiara

Applications for immigration into Australia can be quite time consuming, with each country having its own process. This is even more true when it comes to applications for tourist visas!

Tracing the application process in another country is very difficult because various departments within government agencies handle different parts of the visa process.

It becomes even harder if you are not familiar with the system here so there’s nothing to refer to as a model.

We recommend doing your research online and looking at past applicants' experiences to get an idea of how things work. You could also talk to people who have immigrated before or use the help available via Australian Government Departments and their websites.

Immigration consultants may be able to give some tips too, but only if you pay them to look out for you!

This article will go through all the steps you need to follow to track your New Zealand visa application from start to finish. It includes information about what documents to collect, where to send them and how long it can take to receive a response back.

Create or update your visa application

how to track new zealand visa application

Now that you have completed all of the necessary applications, it is time to create an account for each one! This includes your visa applicant profile, email notifications, and even times to check back in.

For most countries, you will need to confirm your identity before being allowed to start tracking applications. Some agencies may also require proof of employment or income, as well as documents proving residency.

TrackVisa can help with this by giving you quick access to all of these things. You do not need to login into our system yourself, we handle that for you!

We only ask for basic personal information which can be confirmed through other sources, making sure your data is protected is already our top priority.

Fund your visa application

how to track new zealand visa application

Even though it’s not necessary, it is important to make sure you have enough money to support yourself while in Australia. You can spend money for things like food, transportation, and accommodation, so make sure to save some up before you apply!

Many people begin applying for visas after working in Australia as an Australian citizen or resident. As such, they may already have access to certain benefits including health insurance, paid vacation days, and/or retirement savings.

These are all very helpful when looking for employment outside of Australia, but unfortunately, they aren’t easy to come by unless you are a permanent resident. If this is you then great, use these tips to track down new jobs quickly!

For non-permanent residents, staying within budget will help ensure you don’t waste any money that could be spent paying for housing, healthcare, and other daily living expenses.

Choose your application location

how to track new zealand visa application

When you apply for a visa, where you do it is very important! Depending on what type of visit you are applying for, there may be additional requirements in terms of how close you can travel from home or whether you need to have proof that you will return after the trip.

Visas are designed to ensure that you return home if you say you’ll stay in Australia/New Zealand longer than planned. This way, once you leave the country, immigration has a record of your word which they can check back at a later date.

If this sounds familiar, then we recommend that you read our article about how to track applications online. You can find that here. All major international visa agencies offer such tracking services, so pick one that feels comfortable to use.

General tips: Make sure your app looks authentic. Most people these days use their phone as their main device, making it hard to verify who created the application. If possible, make sure your apps and accounts are not fake, or go through some extra steps to confirm them.

Applications with The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) are guaranteed to work, but remember that DIAC doesn’t review every single application, only those that get past their staff first.

Apply for the visa

how to track new zealand visa application

After you have gathered all of your documents, you can now begin applying for the NZ visa. Applications are done through an agency or consulate that works with VFS Global, a professional visa processing company.

Visa agencies take care of the paperwork, meeting immigration requirements, and offering payment options. Some require upfront fees that are not refundable unless you receive approval within six months, but this is rare.

There are many good quality visa agents to choose from so do some research and find one that fits your budget! Check out our article here about how to apply for New Zealand citizenship to learn more.

Pay for your visa

how to track new zealand visa application

As mentioned earlier, it is very common to pay an application service a small fee to track or even help you apply for a visa in New Zealand. This is not only expensive, but also controversial as some have complained that these fees are used to advertise their business and thus promote them as experts in visa applications!

Tracking visas via online resources is usually quite easy and free, so why pay someone else to do it? It can be done yourself using various apps and websites, and this article will give you all of the information you need to know about tracking your New Zealand visa appication.

Get your passport

how to track new zealand visa application

Now that you have everything ready, it’s time to get your passports! This can be done at any Australian embassy or consulate. You will need one document for each visit (proof of residence, proof of employment, etc).

It is very helpful if you already have your passports as you may not need to prove your residency or job while traveling.

Go to the embassy

how to track new zealand visa application

After receiving your visa application, the next step is to go in person to apply for the visa at an Embassy or Consulate of New Zealand. This can be done within days, if not hours, of submitting your online application!

It’s very important that you come prepared to be interviewed by two members of the immigration team. You should also bring proof of income (like pay slips) and evidence of accommodation (like receipts).

After meeting with them, they will make their decision whether to grant you a visa and if so, how long it will last.

Wait for your visa to be approved

how to track new zealand visa application

After you have completed all of the necessary application forms, it is important to wait for the visa to be processed before completing the next stage.

It can take some time – up to two weeks or longer depending on how quickly Immigration Services (VIS) process applications.

So, if you are waiting for a response from VIS, do not worry about the other steps until you receive this message!

Tracking your visas via DVIRS takes around one week once they are accepted so keep an eye out but don’t get too excited just yet as there may be a delay in receiving word that it has been granted.

We recommend using our free tool to track progress at any time — it will let you know when your visa status changes and also send you email updates.

You can find this under the ‘Track Visas’ section here: http://dvisalerts.com/new-zealand/.