Automation Gaps at Immigration New Zealand: Key Takeaways for Visa Applicants and Employers

News · 2026-09-30 · 4 min read

For skilled professionals planning an international career move, it helps to understand how visa decisions are actually made. A recent case at Immigration New Zealand offers a useful lesson. Briefings to Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, reported by RNZ on 30 September 2026, revealed that faults in Immigration New Zealand's ADEPT platform had approved certain applications without any manual assessment.

Inside the ADEPT processing fault

ADEPT is the online visa processing system Immigration New Zealand has operated since 2022. Officials identified a technical fault that at times allowed an automated process to run repeatedly on one application. This produced duplicated actions and bypassed the step at which an officer was meant to assess the file.

The subsequent review identified:

32 visitor visas approved without manual assessment over approximately three years
23 Job Check applications approved without manual assessment in 2022; the Job Check is the process through which an accredited employer demonstrates it attempted to hire a New Zealander first

Officials informed the minister that technical advisors have now reviewed all of the visitor visas concerned. Twenty of the holders had already travelled to New Zealand with no adverse outcome noted. Six files were reopened for full assessment due to risk factors, and one was recommended for decline.

Where automation was supposed to stand

The Government's commitment was that automation would support approvals, while decisions to decline would remain with staff. Automated decision-making is permitted under immigration law, yet the agency had reportedly not used it, and in 2025 stated it was still around two years from having the data and testing required to implement it well. These approvals, then, were not a deliberate rollout but an unintended system behaviour.

The wider context includes the $336 million Our Future Services programme, which ministers sent back for a new business case after its projected savings were overstated by $134 million. They have asked for a report before April 2027.

Further system issues on record

Employer visibility: Around 2,300 businesses with lapsed and renewed accreditation lost visibility of their migrant workers in the system, limiting their ability to resend job tokens or report a worker's departure.
Health screening: In 2025, 364 applicants for multiple entry visitor visas for parents and grandparents were not asked a tuberculosis-related residency question, and 295 of them were granted visas. Officials assessed individual risk as relatively low and said affected applicants would be contacted.
Draft submissions: In August 2026, a system update stopped some visitor visa applicants from submitting drafts once a second person was added. A permanent fix was in place within days; the number of people affected is unknown.

Implications by stakeholder

Applicants: There is no indication that genuine applications are under threat. The concern relates to consistency and oversight rather than incorrect refusals. A quick approval, however, does not confirm that a file received the scrutiny it should have, and errors uncovered later may prompt follow-up contact.

Employers and sponsors: Reconcile your dashboard with internal records of your employees and the job tokens issued. Avoid relying on the system as an accurate picture, particularly where accreditation has lapsed and been renewed.

Long-term migration planners: Policies and platforms evolve in every destination country. Maintain your own archive of submissions, confirmations, medical results and correspondence regardless of what any portal displays.

Professional practices for online applications

Retain a copy of each page and confirmation submitted.
Complete all health and character questions in full, whether or not the system prompts you.
Act promptly on any request for further information.
Monitor your application status rather than reading silence as progress.
Consult a licensed migration professional if anything appears irregular.

Building a stronger application

Technology can accelerate visa processing, but only with rigorous testing and human oversight behind it. For applicants, the most reliable safeguard is a thorough, honest and well-documented application, in whichever country you apply. Treat your paperwork with the same care you would give any major career milestone.

This content is general information rather than immigration advice. Since rules and processes change, verify details with official sources or a licensed adviser prior to applying.

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