Over the past year, the New Zealand Government has made it easier for Samoan citizens to apply for visitor visas by making a series of improvements to its visa services. 

New Zealand High Commissioner to Samoa, Si’alei van Toor highlights the improvements made by Immigration New Zealand and acknowledged the role of the Samoan Government and wider community in calling for change. 

“Since I first arrived in Samoa, the Samoan Government has consistently advocated for improvements to our visa processing procedures. I am pleased that we have been able to listen and respond to some of these concerns.” High Commissioner Si’alei van Toor said. 

All these changes mean visas are now processed faster, with the average visitor visa application currently being decided in five working days compared to eight working days earlier this year. This means Samoans are getting decisions and certainty quicker about their ability to travel to New Zealand. 

A significant change to be implemented from July will enable most Samoans who are granted a visitor visa to visit multiple times within a two-year period.  

“For most people, this means the next time you apply for a visa to visit New Zealand, that visa will remain valid for the next two years and people will be able to come and go without having to re-apply,” High Commissioner van Toor said. 

Samoans with a visitor visa will be able to travel to New Zealand as often as they like for two years.   They can stay up to 6 months in any 12-month period, or 9 months total over two years. 

High Commissioner van Toor also highlighted and welcomed other changes made by Immigration New Zealand this past year. 

In November 2024, the era of lines outside Immigration New Zealand on Beach Road finally came to an end as a new Visa Application Centre was launched in partnership with VFS Global at the Le Sanalele Complex. The centre replaced Immigration New Zealand’s previous one-hour/day limited service with a 9-4pm, Mon-Fri, bookable service enabling help with online applications, and handling of INZ’s remaining paper visa applications. 

Last year also saw the introduction of new methods for Samoans to check on the progress of their visitor visa applications, including a dedicated email for expediting urgent visa applications and Samoan language support on INZ’s customer service phone lines.   

“The introduction of a Samoan language phone number and a physical application centre in Apia are important changes to make sure everyone - especially our elders - can still get the help they need”, said High Commissioner van Toor.  

To show further commitment to our relationship, INZ is working to better the experience for all customers calling from overseas. INZ have made improvements to reduce call wait times for callers from Samoa, reflecting the strong and enduring connection between our countries.  

“While there is always more work to do, I am thankful of the work Immigration New Zealand has done to make travel to New Zealand easier whether it is to go on holiday, grieve, or reunite with loved ones in New Zealand.”