Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Immigration Act 2009

Visas - Visas generally - General rules relating to visas

62: Form of visa

You could also call this:

“Your visa details are stored in official records and may include travel and stay conditions”

When you get a visa, it’s recorded in the Department’s files. These files can be on a computer or on paper. The chief executive decides how to keep these records.

Your visa record will include important information. It will show when your visa starts, which might be the day you got it, a day in the future, or even a day in the past. The record will also tell you about any rules for travelling. It will say if you can come to New Zealand more than once, when you can travel, and how many times you can enter the country.

The visa record will also tell you how long you can stay in New Zealand. It might give a specific date when your visa ends, or it might say your visa will end when something happens. There might be other rules on your visa too.

If you’re allowed to enter New Zealand, the record will show the date or dates when you were given permission to enter. The chief executive might decide to include other information in the record as well.

Sometimes, your visa might be shown as a stamp or note in your passport or identity certificate, but this isn’t always necessary. Also, for some visas that are automatically given by the law, there might not be any record created at all.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM1440674.

Topics:
Immigration and citizenship > Visas
Immigration and citizenship > Border control
Government and voting > Government departments
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61A: Grant of visas by special direction, or

“This section about granting special visas has been removed from the law”

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63: Expiry of visa, or

“When your visa comes to an end in different situations”

Part 3 Visas
Visas generally: General rules relating to visas

62Form of visa

  1. A visa is granted by being entered and retained in the records (whether electronic or physical) of the Department in a manner determined by the chief executive.

  2. The entry for the visa must specify, as appropriate,—

  3. its start date (which may be the date of its grant or a future or past date):
    1. any conditions of the visa that relate to travel, including—
      1. whether the visa allows travel to New Zealand on a later occasion:
        1. if the visa allows travel to New Zealand, the period during which the holder may travel to New Zealand:
          1. if the visa allows travel to New Zealand, whether the visa gives permission to travel to New Zealand on a single journey, multiple journeys, or a set number of journeys:
          2. in relation to the holder’s stay in New Zealand, the date or event on the occurrence of which the visa will expire, or the period after which it will expire:
            1. any other conditions of the visa:
              1. for those persons granted entry permission, the date or dates the entry permission was granted:
                1. such other matters as may be required or approved by the chief executive.

                  1. A visa may (but need not) be evidenced by an endorsement in a passport or certificate of identity.

                  2. To avoid doubt, no electronic or physical record is required to be created for a visa that is deemed to be granted by or under this Act.