Parents and guardians accompanying international students to New Zealand must now lodge their Guardian Visitor Visa applications through Immigration NZ’s enhanced online portal, following the platform’s go-live on 3 November 2025.
The switch completes a two-year digital overhaul that previously migrated student and work visas to the new system. Applicants upload identity documents, proof of relationship and evidence of funds, and can track processing in real time—features long requested by agents handling high-volume cohorts from Australia.
![Guardian Visitor Visa Applications Move Online as NZ Digitises Family Mobility]()
For Australian education providers with branch campuses or exchange partnerships across the Tasman, the change streamlines paperwork for families who split residency between both countries. Turnaround times are projected to drop from 30 to 15 calendar days, and biometrics collected for an Australian visa can now be re-used, reducing repeat clinic visits.
Immigration NZ warns that partially completed applications in the legacy portal will remain accessible only until 31 January 2026. Agents are urged to transfer drafts to avoid data loss. The department has published step-by-step videos and will run webinars for Australian secondary schools during week 2 of the new term.
While the move has been broadly welcomed, peak body English New Zealand has asked for contingency channels in case of system outages during February’s enrolment surge.
The switch completes a two-year digital overhaul that previously migrated student and work visas to the new system. Applicants upload identity documents, proof of relationship and evidence of funds, and can track processing in real time—features long requested by agents handling high-volume cohorts from Australia.
For Australian education providers with branch campuses or exchange partnerships across the Tasman, the change streamlines paperwork for families who split residency between both countries. Turnaround times are projected to drop from 30 to 15 calendar days, and biometrics collected for an Australian visa can now be re-used, reducing repeat clinic visits.
Immigration NZ warns that partially completed applications in the legacy portal will remain accessible only until 31 January 2026. Agents are urged to transfer drafts to avoid data loss. The department has published step-by-step videos and will run webinars for Australian secondary schools during week 2 of the new term.
While the move has been broadly welcomed, peak body English New Zealand has asked for contingency channels in case of system outages during February’s enrolment surge.
