New Zealand has not introduced new visa application policies against IDF soldiers or reservists, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said in a statement, rejecting Israeli media reports that Israelis had been denied admission to the country because of their military service in Gaza.
INZ said that applicants for visas must meet immigration criteria, but military service alone was not a reason for declined applications. The government body said that it assessed a number of factors, including character, medical, financial and previous travel history.
“The declined visitor visa applications we have identified for Israeli nationals have been because the applicants did not demonstrate that they meet the standard requirements to show that they are genuine applicants, such as providing proof of ties to their home country, reasons for their stay, or evidence of their travel plans,” said INZ.
“A visitor visa can be declined for several reasons, and it is difficult for us to comment on why a person’s application was declined without a privacy waiver from the individual. Immigration requirements do not prevent individuals who have served in this conflict from applying for or being granted a visitor visa,” INZ continued.
INZ noted that Israel is a visa waiver country, and only need to apply for visas if visiting for longer than three months. Travelers only need to complete an electronic declaration to enter New Zealand.
The immigration authority said that since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out, it has attempted to prioritize allocation for applications for people living in the impacted areas.
“Palestinian and Israeli nationals can apply for any visa category they meet the requirements for,” said INZ. “We will continue to prioritize the processing of applications for people impacted by the conflict.”
Impact of Israel-Hamas war
INZ said on January 14 that since the October 7 massacre it had received 944 temporary and residence visa applications from Israeli nationals, of which 809 had been approved, 37 declined, 69 in progress and the remaining applications withdrawn. Palestinians have applied for 259 applications, of which 77 were approved, 53 declined, 21 in progress, and the rest withdrawn. Three hundred and twenty Israeli and 58 Palestinians have entered New Zealand with approved visas since the war began.
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) called last Wednesday for the suspension of all visas for Israeli soldiers.
PSNA National Chair John Minto called for nationwide rallies for the visa ban on Saturday, arguing on Facebook, “We wouldn’t allow Russian soldiers to come here for rest and recreation from the invasion of Ukraine so why would we accept soldiers from the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel?”
New Zealand Human Rights Commission Chief Commissioner Stephen Rainbow said Tuesday that he had received eight complaints about immigration policy permitting IDF soldiers to enter the country under the visa-waiver scheme.
Last Wednesday, PSNA opened a hotline to track down IDF soldiers and reservists visiting the country, drawing outrage from politicians and community leaders.