Immigration New Zealand has paused processing for all visa applications because of the global Microsoft outage that began on November 12, 2026, but the NZeTA service remains operational.

New Zealand visa processing paused until further notice

A global Microsoft service disruption that started on Thursday, November 12, 2026, has moved beyond problems with Outlook, Teams and Microsoft 365 and is now affecting public-sector services in several countries. In New Zealand, the disruption has directly affected immigration administration, with consequences for international travellers and foreign nationals awaiting visa decisions.

Immigration New Zealand said in an official statement on Friday, November 13, that it had suspended processing of all visa applications until further notice due to the global Microsoft outage. The agency also confirmed that applicants cannot currently lodge applications through its new Enhanced Immigration Online platform, which is used for several visa categories.

The halt affects both internal processing by immigration officials and access to some online application services. INZ did not list exemptions for any specific visa category in its announcement. However, the inability to submit new applications was specifically tied to the Enhanced Immigration Online platform, and the agency did not say that every other application system is unavailable.

No date has been given for processing to restart. Applicants who have already filed their cases may face longer waits, especially for visitor, work and student visas. Immigration New Zealand apologized for the disruption and attributed it to circumstances outside its control.

Planned immigration system changes move to November 23

The outage has also led New Zealand authorities to delay a set of immigration system updates. Measures that had been due to take effect on Monday, November 16, 2026, are now scheduled for Monday, November 23, 2026.

  • Moving temporary visa applications from certain family members of New Zealand citizens onto the Enhanced Immigration Online platform.
  • Introducing provisions for the Short-term Graduate Work Visa and the Post-Study Work Visa, two routes for international graduates seeking employment in New Zealand.
  • Extending the option to provide digital passport copies for Visitor Visa and Accredited Employer Work Visa applications.

The expanded use of digital passport copies is intended to improve the collection of biographical details and make the data used to issue visas more accurate. The launch of the new Short-term Graduate Work Visa, originally planned for November 16, has also been delayed by one week.

Overcast afternoon on an Auckland street with heritage shopfronts, wet footpaths and distant volcanic hills in the background
Immigration New Zealand has delayed several system updates while Microsoft services are restored.

NZeTA applications remain available

The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority is not affected by the disruption. INZ has explicitly said travellers can still apply for an NZeTA and that the service is functioning normally, even as other immigration processes face delays.

The NZeTA is required for many visa-waiver travellers. Citizens of the United States and Canada, as well as travellers from many European countries, can generally visit New Zealand for up to three months without applying for a visa in advance if they hold an approved NZeTA. British citizens can generally stay for up to six months under visa-waiver rules, while Australian citizens do not need an NZeTA.

The authorization is generally valid for two years and is separate from New Zealand’s standard visa application process. Authorities have not announced any general suspension of international arrivals or border operations. Travellers with imminent trips have been advised to keep checking official Immigration New Zealand updates for the latest position on service availability and processing times.

Singapore and Australia report related service issues

Other governments have also reported disruptions linked to the Microsoft outage. In Singapore, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority warned that replies to some requests submitted through FormSG, a digital forms tool used by public agencies, may be delayed. The Government Technology Agency said several government systems had been affected, especially email services.

Singapore’s SG Arrival Card remains operational, and GovTech said the Singpass digital identity system has not been affected. In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued an advisory asking people with urgent international sanctions matters to use telephone contacts instead. The Australian Federal Police and intelligence services have also acknowledged disruptions, but Australia has not announced any suspension of visa applications, eVisitor visas or Electronic Travel Authority applications because of the incident.

Microsoft works to restore affected services

The outage has particularly affected Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online, a widely used email infrastructure for companies and government agencies. Problems have also been reported across Outlook, Teams and other workplace tools. Microsoft said it is working to restore infrastructure and stabilize server traffic. Some services have improved, but the timing for a full return to normal remains unclear, and the company said it has found no evidence that a cyberattack caused the incident.

The disruption recalls the global Cloudflare outage of November 18, 2025, which interrupted access to several electronic visa portals, including systems used by Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Thailand. For travellers, the immediate impact is that New Zealand visa applicants should expect delays, while visa-waiver visitors using the NZeTA still have a functioning route to seek travel authorization.