Since 8 December 2025, "I've applied for it" is no longer good enough — your police certificate must be ready when you lodge.
If you're applying for an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) or a visitor visa, one document is now make-or-break: your police certificate. A rule change that took effect on 8 December 2025 quietly turned a common, forgivable delay into a reason your visa can be declined or cut short. Here's exactly what changed, who it affects, and how to avoid getting caught out.
What changed on 8 December 2025
Previously, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) would accept a receipt showing you'd applied for a police certificate, then hold your application open and follow up later. That's over. From 8 December 2025, you must upload a valid, completed police certificate at the time you submit your AEWV or visitor visa application. Receipts are no longer accepted, and INZ will no longer hold your application open waiting for the document.
The new processing approach applies to applications lodged after 12 January 2026. If your file is missing a valid certificate, the officer assesses it on what you've provided — which can mean a shorter visa or an outright decline.
You can read INZ's own announcement on the Immigration New Zealand news centre.
The only exceptions: Fiji, Hong Kong and Israel
There's a narrow carve-out. Where the issuing authority sends police certificates to INZ directly, you can instead upload evidence that you've applied. Under INZ's guidance this applies only to Fiji, Hong Kong and Israel. For every other country, the completed certificate must be in your application.
How it plays out — three common scenarios
What happens if your certificate isn't ready depends on how long you've been in New Zealand and where you are:
- You haven't yet spent 24 months in NZ (but intend to): You'll get a Potentially Prejudicial Information (PPI) letter with 5 working days to either provide the certificate or reduce your intended stay to under 24 months. If you can't supply it, your visa may be approved only for a shorter period — and you'd have to apply again (and pay again) to stay longer. (If you receive one of these, read our full guide on how to respond to a PPI letter.)
- You've spent 24 months or more in NZ and you're offshore: Your application can be declined without a PPI letter, because failing to provide a required document you were prompted for isn't treated as information you were unaware of.
- You've spent 24 months or more in NZ and you're onshore: You're protected by natural justice and must be sent a PPI letter first. If you still don't provide the certificate, a decline is likely on character grounds.
How to stay compliant (and avoid a shorter visa)
- Apply for your police certificate first, lodge second. Processing times vary hugely by country — some take weeks or months. Start early.
- Check the correct issuing authority for every country you've lived in for the relevant period, not just your home country.
- Sort translations into English where needed, from an acceptable translator.
- Keep the certificate current. INZ may ask for a fresh one if yours becomes more than 12 months old before a decision is made.
- If you genuinely can't obtain one, a police certificate waiver may be possible where it's unavailable or unduly difficult to get, with credible supporting evidence. This is assessed case by case.
- Keep digital and printed copies so you can re-upload quickly if asked.
Partners and supporting applicants
Police-certificate and character requirements also reach supporting partners. A history of certain convictions can act as a bar to supporting an application, though waivers can be considered individually. If your application relies on a partner, make sure their documents are just as decision-ready as yours.
The bottom line
This change rewards preparation and punishes delay. The single best thing you can do is simple: don't lodge your AEWV or visitor visa until your valid police certificate is in hand and ready to upload. Get that right and you'll likely benefit from faster processing; get it wrong and you risk a shorter visa or a decline.
Not sure which countries you need certificates from, whether you qualify for a waiver, or how the 24-month rule applies to you?
Book a free 15-minute consultation or message us on WhatsApp at +64 21 227 4246. We prepare decision-ready AEWV and visitor visa applications every week.
Living in NZ — IAA Licensed Immigration Advisers, Auckland. Phone +64 9 213 1677 · contactus@livinginnz.co.nz. General information only, not individual immigration advice. For the official rules, see immigration.govt.nz.