Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill
This bill changes New Zealand's immigration rules in several ways. People with permanent residency can now be deported for crimes committed over a longer time period than before. Some temporary visa holders lose the right to appeal deportation on compassionate grounds. Employers who exploit migrant workers face higher prison sentences. The government can share immigration information with more agencies. Victims of crimes committed by migrants get more say in deportation decisions. Asylum seekers who withdraw their claim can no longer apply for other visas while still in New Zealand.
What this affects
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The bill makes it easier to deport people with permanent residency for crimes, removes some migrants' right to appeal deportation on compassionate grounds, and stops asylum seekers who drop their claims from applying for other visas while in New Zealand.
extends the period within which being sentenced to at least 5 years' imprisonment makes a residence class visa holder liable for deportation from 10 years after they first held a residence class visa to 15 years
removes the current ability for all visitor visa holders, and for temporary visa holders who have committed criminal offences, to appeal their deportation liability to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on humanitarian grounds
preventing individuals from applying for a further visa while in New Zealand after withdrawing an asylum claim
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Education and Workforce Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 28 April 2026.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.