Immigration New Zealand has introduced a major digital upgrade aimed at making the visa application process smoother and more collaborative. This change allows immigration advisers, legal representatives, and applicants to securely share and manage applications online. The update is designed to improve transparency, speed up processing, and streamline communication between all parties involved.
The enhancement supports both the existing Immigration Online system and the newer Enhanced Immigration Online platform. This dual approach ensures that users around the world can continue working without disruption while benefiting from the new features.
In the current Immigration Online system, sharing is organized through the creation of “firms.” This setup allows teams—such as those handling student visa or skilled migrant applications—to manage access within a group. To get started, users enable client application management in their profile, then set up a firm with a chosen name. Administrators within the firm can invite or remove members, assign admin roles, and monitor overall activity.
The Enhanced Immigration Online system offers even more flexibility. Users can now share individual applications with specific people or with entire networks. For example, a single application can be shared with a client or colleague, while law firms or larger teams can collaborate across multiple cases using shared networks. To share, both parties must have Immigration Online accounts. The user selects the application from their dashboard, then uses the sharing feature by entering the recipient’s email and sharing ID.
Applicants can also give access to advisers or sponsors by sharing their unique ID, which links their application to the correct supporting party. This feature is especially helpful for international students, skilled migrants, sponsoring family members, and registered consultants who need to work closely on documentation and updates.
As New Zealand continues to digitize its immigration processes, the changes are expected to reduce delays, simplify coordination, and improve the overall user experience for applicants and their representatives.
