How to Make a Complaint to Immigration New Zealand

Most frustrations with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) are about service: a long delay with no explanation, a document you sent that seems to have vanished, a case officer who applied the wrong process, or a decision letter that does not match the evidence you provided. New Zealand has a proper complaint process for exactly this, and it is free. The trick is using the right channel, because a complaint about service is a different thing from challenging a decision, and they go to different places. This guide explains how INZ complaints work, what a complaint can and cannot achieve, and the separate routes that exist if what you actually want is a decision changed.

First, work out what kind of problem you have

• Service or process problem: delays, lost documents, discourtesy, wrong information from the contact centre, INZ not following its own process. This is an INZ complaint.
• A decision you believe is wrong: a declined visa or a condition you dispute. A complaint alone will not overturn it. The decision routes are reconsideration, appeal, or a fresh application, covered below.
• A problem with your immigration adviser: complaints about licensed advisers go to the Immigration Advisers Authority, not INZ.
• Someone breaking immigration law: that is a report, not a complaint. Our guide to reporting someone to Immigration NZ covers that process.

How to complain to INZ: the Complaints and Feedback Process

INZ runs a Complaints and Feedback Process for complaints about the standard of service you received or the process followed on your case.

How to lodge it

• Use INZ’s online feedback form at feedback.immigration.govt.nz. Use the same email address that is on your immigration file, and read the terms and conditions before submitting.
• Or download the paper form and email it to INZComplaintsandFeedback@mbie.govt.nz, or post it to the Central Feedback Team, Immigration New Zealand, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140.
• There is no charge for making a complaint.
• If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, attach an Authority to Act showing they have given you permission. Without it, INZ may not be able to investigate.

What to include

Complaints are investigated faster when they are specific. Include your full name, date of birth, client number and application number, the dates of the events you are describing, and a clear explanation of what went wrong and what outcome you are seeking. INZ’s own guidance is to explain your reasons clearly, provide any extra information they ask for, and keep the exchange factual and courteous.

What happens next

Your complaint is assessed by INZ’s feedback team, separately from the officer who handled your case. If INZ’s response does not resolve the issue and you believe the process itself was mishandled, you can escalate to the Ombudsman (below). The Ombudsman’s office expects you to have completed INZ’s own complaint process first in most cases.

What a complaint cannot do: changing a decision

A complaint can lead to an apology, an explanation, or a process being put right. It does not by itself reverse a visa decision. If the decision is the problem, use one of these routes instead (or as well).

Reconsideration of a declined temporary visa

Section 185 of the Immigration Act 2009 gives you a right of reconsideration if all of the following apply: you are in New Zealand, you applied for a further temporary visa during the currency of your existing visa, the application was declined, and the decision was not made by the Minister. The request must be made within 14 days of receiving the decline notice, and you must still be lawfully in New Zealand when you make it. A different officer, of equal or senior grade, reconsiders the decision. The deadline is strict, late requests are not accepted, and the reconsideration decision is final, so get advice before the 14 days run out.

Appeals to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal

Residence decisions carry appeal rights to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT), an independent tribunal. A residence appeal must be lodged within 42 days of the decision. The IPT also hears appeals against liability for deportation, including humanitarian appeals. Appeals are formal legal processes with firm deadlines, so treat the date on your decision letter as critical.

Escalating beyond INZ

The Ombudsman

If you have completed INZ’s Complaints and Feedback Process and remain dissatisfied with how your complaint or case was handled administratively, you can complain to the Ombudsman at ombudsman.parliament.nz. The Ombudsman is independent, the service is free, and the Ombudsman can investigate whether INZ acted unreasonably, wrongly or contrary to law in an administrative sense, and recommend a remedy such as an apology, a reconsideration of process, or in rare cases compensation. Two limits matter: the Ombudsman generally will not investigate a decision that carries a right of appeal to a tribunal, and the Ombudsman cannot overturn a visa decision. The focus is the fairness of the process, not re-deciding the outcome.

Other specialist channels

• Privacy: if your complaint is about how INZ handled your personal or biometric information, you can also complain to the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz. Privacy Act requests, and requests for your file, come back within up to 20 working days per INZ’s own guidance.
• Discrimination: concerns about discriminatory treatment can go to the Human Rights Commission.
• Licensed advisers: complaints about a licensed immigration adviser’s service, fees or conduct go to the Immigration Advisers Authority, which can refer serious matters to the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal. Our guide to becoming an immigration adviser explains the licensing system behind this.
• Visa Application Centres: service complaints about a Visa Application Centre go to VFS Global, which operates them, not to INZ.

How to write a complaint that gets somewhere

• Lead with identifiers: name, client number, application number, decision date.
• Tell the story in date order, in short factual paragraphs. Quote the exact wording of any advice you were given, and say who gave it and when.
• Attach the evidence: the decision letter, the email chain, proof of what you submitted.
• State the outcome you want: a corrected record, an explanation, an apology, the process re-run properly.
• Keep it to the process facts. A complaint succeeds on “the wrong instruction was applied” or “my evidence was not considered”, not on disagreement with a lawful outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Does complaining cost anything?

No. INZ’s complaint process is free, as is complaining to the Ombudsman or the Privacy Commissioner. Reconsideration requests and tribunal appeals are different processes and can carry fees.

Can a complaint get my declined visa overturned?

Not directly. Only a reconsideration, an appeal, or a new application changes a decision. A complaint can, however, expose a process error, and if INZ accepts its process was flawed it may agree to look at the matter again.

How long does an INZ complaint take?

INZ does not publish one fixed timeframe for every complaint, because complexity varies. You will be told how your complaint is being handled once it is lodged. If delay itself is your complaint, say so, with dates.

My temporary visa was declined last month. Can I still ask for reconsideration?

The statutory deadline is 14 days from receiving the decision, and you must have been lawfully in New Zealand when applying. If that window has closed, the remaining options are usually a fresh application or, where they exist, appeal rights. Get licensed advice quickly, because deadlines drive everything here. Our NZ work visa guide and sponsorship guide cover the application side, and more topics sit in the immigration category.

Sources

• Immigration New Zealand, Complain about Immigration New Zealand services and processes: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/contact-us/make-a-complaint-or-provide-feedback/complaining-about-inz-services-and-processes/
• Immigration Act 2009, section 185 (right of reconsideration), New Zealand Legislation: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2009/0051/latest/DLM1440890.html
• Office of the Ombudsman, Fact sheet: Immigration New Zealand: https://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz

Disclaimer

This article is general information about complaint and review processes in New Zealand. It is not immigration or legal advice for your individual situation. Deadlines in this area are strict, so confirm the process that applies to you with Immigration New Zealand, the tribunal, or a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer.