Stories by Gill Bonnett

The government is weighing up how to help immigrants and visitors who may be unable to return home or need new visas.

Immigration officials told a student they made mistakes in processing his application - but refused to refund him because his fees had been spent in reassessing its decision.

A mother with a young child was alarmed when a fellow passenger got symptoms of Covid-19 during what she described as an 'evacuation' flight back to New Zealand.

The government is being challenged about the legality of its travel restrictions that continue to ban visitors from China and Iran.

Immigration officials are being accused of using data analytics and algorithms in visa processing - and leaving applicants in the dark about why they are being rejected.

Families fighting to have overseas grandparents visit their newborn grandchildren say unfair health restrictions are keeping them apart.

A woman who left New Zealand says she felt she had no choice but to give up her citizenship and is now on a quest to get it back.

An immigration lobby group fears mistakes by inexperienced staff are leaving people stranded in airports without correct visas.

But there is concern that delegating decision-making takes away an independent check and an avenue for cases that fall outside normal immigration guidelines.

Immigration New Zealand has spelt out how high pay takes skilled workers to the top of a priority list after complaints to the Ombudsman about its unpublished fast-track processing policy.

The on-going closure of New Zealand's immigration office in China because of coronavirus has left more than 13,000 visa applicants waiting for a decision.

The government is locked in talks about an overhaul of the residence programme to prioritise highly skilled immigrants.

The decrease includes voluntary departures, which fell by a 1000 last year to their lowest level in at least four years.

Women who face paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to their abusive ex-husbands in divorce settlements say the law is retraumatising domestic violence victims.

A Muslim Uighur says immigration processes in New Zealand mean the nightmare for him is still continuing after being accepted as a refugee.

Asylum seekers still face undue delays getting visas in what an Auckland lawyer believes may be an attempt from Immigration New Zealand to deter applicants.

With the elections in sight, RNZ reporter Gill Bonnett looks at what's in store for anticipated immigration policy changes and announcements this year.

The auditor general is weighing up whether to look into Immigration New Zealand's operations and restructure.

The government has banned visits from people involved in the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Immigration staff are working through the break to clear a backlog of visas for asylum seekers after at least one man was unable to apply for a job, pay rent or buy food.

Documents obtained by RNZ show Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway knew eight months ago that delays in processing residency applications were about to blow out.

The government coalition parties have started talks on how many new residents they will allow into the country.

A Fijian man who impersonated an immigration officer and fleeced four people of more than $300,000 will be deported.

Immigration New Zealand has apologised for telling immigrants they could become overstayers when administrative delays left them without a visa.

Academics and the vaping industry say the government urgently needs to bring in e-cigarette regulations, but the government says it has to get it right.