The New Zealand Immigration Service announced that the online visa system would be upgraded from 08:00 to 20:00 (NZDT)** Sunday, 4 October 2026. Within 12 hours, the applicant was unable to start or continue to apply on-line in multiple categories, which included International Studen visas.
How does Taiwan time be converted?
New Zealand is five hours faster than Taiwan, so this is about Taiwan time. 4 October 03:00 to 15:00 。 Those who are in the process of completing student visas, uploading documents or preparing payments should avoid this period and confirm that the information has been kept prior to the shutdown.
Which applications were affected?
The official list includes, in addition to international student visas, most visitor visas, employer work visas and some residence visa forms. The bulletin states that it is not possible to "start or continue" an application and therefore it is not appropriate to schedule the final delivery by the deadline close to the maintenance period.
Reminders for those preparing for 2027.
Education New Zealand has previously warned that the student visa peak usually falls between October and March of the following year, and recommended that the application be made at least three months before the scheduled departure. The system shutdown itself does not amount to an extension of the application period; If schools have individual durations of CAS, tuition fees, accommodation or registration, they must be confirmed separately.
