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Applying for a New Zealand visa from Malaysia? What the system faults mean for you

Visa guide · 2026-09-30 · 4 min read

When you submit a visa application, you expect a trained officer to read it. In New Zealand, that did not always happen. Briefings to the immigration minister that came to light on 30 September 2026 describe software faults which approved certain applications without any manual assessment. If you plan to work in New Zealand from Malaysia, or you employ migrant staff there, this is worth understanding.

The fault in plain terms

The system at the centre is ADEPT, the online platform Immigration New Zealand has used for visa processing since 2022. A technical error let one automated process fire several times on a single application. Actions were duplicated, and the stage where an officer should have looked at the file was bypassed.

Officials then searched for affected cases and found 32 visitor visas approved this way across roughly three years, plus 23 Job Check applications approved in 2022. A Job Check is the stage where an accredited employer shows it tried to hire a New Zealander first. Technical advisors have since gone through every visitor visa. Twenty holders have already travelled to New Zealand with no adverse outcome noted, six files went back for a full assessment because of risk factors, and one was recommended for decline.

A run of other problems

For the health gap, officials said individual risk was relatively low and that affected applicants would be contacted. The dashboard errors left employers unable to see their migrant workers, so they struggled to resend job tokens or report a worker leaving. The submission fault was fixed permanently within days.

Why this is more than a technical hiccup

The Government has said automation would help approve applications, while decisions to decline would stay with staff. Automated decision-making is allowed by immigration law, but the agency had not yet used it. In 2025 it said it was still around two years from having the data and testing needed. These approvals were therefore unplanned: the system did something no one intended. They also sit beside a costly upgrade programme. Ministers returned the $336 million Our Future Services programme for a new business case after projected savings were overstated by $134 million, and they want a report before April 2027.

What to do as a Malaysian applicant or employer

Nothing suggests genuine applications are in danger. The issue is oversight, not people being wrongly refused. A quick approval, though, does not prove careful review, and mistakes found later can bring follow-up contact. So keep your own records.

• Save every page and confirmation you submit.
• Answer health and character questions in full, even when the system does not prompt you. A police certificate, if requested, comes from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
• Keep certified copies and English translations of Bahasa Malaysia documents where the visa rules ask for them.
• Reply fast to any request for more information, and check your status regularly instead of treating silence as good news.
• Employers: compare your dashboard with your own staff and job token records, particularly if accreditation lapsed and was renewed.

Technology can speed up processing, but it needs thorough testing and human oversight. A well-prepared, honest and well-documented application is your best protection. If anything looks unusual, ask a licensed migration professional, and read the New Zealand visas page before you apply. This article is general information, not immigration advice.

#new zealand visa #immigration new zealand #malaysians #job check #visa application #employers