Immigration New Zealand (NZ) is working to ease entry barriers for international business events visitors, with dramatically improved visitor visa processing times and approval rates.
A dedicated process to support large business events groups was highlighted by Immigration NZ’s director of visas, Jock Gilray, at Meetings 2025, promising more attention and tailored guidance for event delegates.
According to Gilray, average processing times have decreased from nine working days in 2023 to six days in 2024 for visitor visas, with NZeTA approvals now commonly delivered within 72 hours.
“Over the last 12 months we have been really focused on improving our performance, particularly when it comes to visa processing, and we are seeing some significant improvements,” he said.
This includes progress in key Asian markets such as China and India. In China, processing times have improved from an average of eight working days in 2023 to six in 2024. In India, average processing times have dropped from 13 to nine working days, with a record 66,000 approvals granted to Indian nationals.
“While we are not back to pre-Covid visitor visa volumes, in 2024 we received nearly 260,000 visitor visa applications from China, compared to 220,000 in 2023,” said Gilray. “We are continuing to look at ways we can make improvements in this space, with our Head of Immigration, Alison MacDonald, recently visiting China to meet with stakeholders.”
India, he noted, remains a “complex market” that has required more attention. “Two years ago there was a significant surge of lower quality applications, which contributed to a decrease in the approval rate and longer processing times. At one point in 2023, the approval rate dropped 50 per cent and the average processing time was over a month, which would have caused immense frustration.
“But last year, we approved 66,000 visitor visa applications for Indian nationals, more than any year before the pandemic,” he added.
To ensure smooth group arrivals, Immigration NZ is encouraging early notification through a dedicated contact process. For events expecting 30 or more international attendees, applications should be submitted at least three months in advance.
Gilray cited recent examples, including a late rush with two weeks’ notice for a 700-person conference in Christchurch which caused delays and missed sessions.
“I want to reinforce that immigration NZ is committed to working with business events to make New Zealand more accessible, competitive and welcoming for global business events… The sooner we know about an event and its attendees, the better we can support it,” he said.
