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Customs and Excise Act 2018

Customs powers - Powers in relation to persons

207: Completion of processing under Immigration Act 2009 and Biosecurity Act 1993

You could also call this:

"Follow the immigration and biosecurity rules when arriving or leaving New Zealand"

Illustration for Customs and Excise Act 2018

When you arrive in or leave New Zealand, you must stay in a special area until your processing is finished. This processing is done under the Immigration Act 2009 and, if needed, the Biosecurity Act 1993. A Customs officer can tell you to follow the rules.

You have to do what you are supposed to do under the Immigration Act 2009 and the Biosecurity Act 1993 when you arrive or leave. This means you must follow all the rules that apply to you. The processing is finished when you have done everything you need to do.

The processing includes an officer checking if the Biosecurity Act 1993 or the Immigration Act 2009 applies to you. They also check if they need to do anything else under these Acts. This is all part of your processing when you arrive or leave New Zealand.

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206: Detention of persons questioned about goods or debt and suspected to be involved in offences, or

"Customs officers can hold you for questioning if they think you've broken the law about goods or debt."

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208: Cases requiring investigation for public health or law enforcement purposes, or

"When Customs officers think you might be sick or have broken the law, they can ask you to stay and answer questions."

Part 4Customs powers
Powers in relation to persons

207Completion of processing under Immigration Act 2009 and Biosecurity Act 1993

  1. This section applies to a person in a designated place who—

  2. has arrived in New Zealand; or
    1. is departing from New Zealand.

      1. The person must remain in the designated place until processing is completed in respect of the person’s arrival in, or departure from, New Zealand under—

      2. the Immigration Act 2009; and
        1. if applicable, the Biosecurity Act 1993.

          1. A Customs officer may direct the person to comply with the person's obligations under subsection (2).

          2. The processing referred to in subsection (2) is completed when—

          3. the person has complied with all obligations imposed on the person, in respect of the person’s arrival in, or departure from, New Zealand, under—
            1. the Immigration Act 2009; and
              1. if applicable, the Biosecurity Act 1993; and
              2. the functions that are required to be carried out under those Acts in relation to the person in the designated place have been, so far as practicable, carried out in that place.

                1. In this section, processing includes consideration by an officer authorised under the Biosecurity Act 1993 or the Immigration Act 2009 of—

                2. the applicability of the Biosecurity Act 1993 or the Immigration Act 2009 to a person; or
                  1. whether to carry out any function under the Biosecurity Act 1993 or the Immigration Act 2009 in relation to a person.

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