Extending the travel conditions of a resident visa
You can travel in and out of New Zealand for up to 2 years on most resident visas. If you want to extend this time you need to apply for a variation of conditions.
Change the conditions of your visa
If the conditions of your work, student or visitor visa no longer suit your situation, you may be able to apply for a variation of conditions.
Temporary visas such as work, student or visitor visas are granted with conditions telling you what you are allowed to do while you’re on the visa. These conditions can be things like working in a particular job or studying at a particular education provider.
If your visa conditions no longer match your circumstances, you may apply to change your conditions. We call this a variation of conditions. However, in some situations, you may need to apply for a new visa instead.
Criteria for a variation of conditions
We can only vary the conditions of your visa if the new conditions you are asking for align with the reason your visa was originally granted. For example, we may be able to vary the conditions of your student visa to study a different course, but if you want to stop studying and start working full-time you must apply for a work visa.
The information you need to provide with your variation of conditions application depends on your circumstances.
Applying for a variation
Send your variation of conditions form, the appropriate fee and any supporting evidence to the branch recorded in the Fees, decision times and where to apply tool.
If you applied for your visitor visa using enhanced Immigration Online you can use your Immigration Online account to apply for a variation of conditions.
Application for a Variation of Conditions or a Variation of Travel Conditions (INZ 1020) PDF 424KB
Fees, decision times and where to apply
Changing the conditions of a work visa or applying for a Job Change
Some work visas come with conditions or rules about your employment. Find out if you can change these conditions or apply for a Job Change.
Changing the conditions of a student visa
Student visas may be changed to let you study a different course, change your education provider or where you are studying. In some cases, you can change your visa to let you work.
Changing the conditions of a visitor visa
Visitor visas come with conditions or rules about studying, working or travelling in and out of New Zealand. Find out if you can change these conditions.