If your visa was just declined, you have been served a deportation liability notice, or your residence appeal clock is ticking, the deadlines in New Zealand immigration law are short and the Tribunal cannot extend them. A residence appeal must reach the Immigration and Protection Tribunal within 42 days of the decision; a deportation liability notice gives you only 28 days to appeal and 14 days to tell Immigration New Zealand why you should not be deported. Immigration is national law, the same in Invercargill as anywhere in New Zealand, but the help around you is local. Our free Legal Hotline for Southland is live now on 0800 461 100, with an AI assistant trained on the Immigration Act 2009 and the appeal process. This is free legal information, not legal advice. Legal Hotline is not a law firm.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Southland.
First, find out exactly which deadline is running, because they differ. If your residence visa was declined, you have 42 days from the date you were notified to lodge an appeal with the Immigration and Protection Tribunal under section 187 of the Immigration Act 2009, and that window cannot be extended. If you have been served a deportation liability notice (for example under section 157 as a temporary visa holder), you have 14 days to give Immigration New Zealand good reason not to deport you and 28 days to appeal to the Tribunal on humanitarian grounds. If your visa simply expired and you are now unlawfully in New Zealand, you generally have 42 days from when it expired to lodge a humanitarian appeal under section 206. Do not let your address with Immigration New Zealand go out of date, keep copies of every letter, and do not leave the country before getting information, because departing can affect your appeal rights and future visas. Free information on which clock is ticking is available now on 0800 461 100.
The deadline that ruins more Southland immigration cases than any other is the 42-day residence appeal limit. Under section 187 of the Immigration Act 2009, if your residence application is declined you have 42 days from the date you are notified to lodge an appeal with the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, and the Tribunal has NO power to extend that time, no matter how good your reason. People wait for advice, gather documents, or assume they can sort it out with Immigration New Zealand directly, and the clock simply runs out. The 42 days include weekends. Deportation deadlines are even tighter: a deportation liability notice gives you 14 days to give INZ reasons and 28 days to appeal. If any of these clocks is running for you or a family member in Invercargill, Gore or anywhere in Southland, finding out today is the emergency, not the paperwork. This is information, not legal advice, and we are not your lawyers, but free information on which deadline applies to you is a call away now on 0800 461 100.
There is real free and low-cost immigration help available to people in Southland, both locally in Invercargill and nationally. These are verified, no-cost starting points. Free information on which one fits your situation is always a call away on 0800 461 100.
My residence visa was declined in Southland. How long do I have to appeal?
Generally 42 days from the date you were notified of the decision, to lodge a residence appeal with the Immigration and Protection Tribunal under section 187 of the Immigration Act 2009. This includes weekends, and the Tribunal has NO power to extend it, so a late appeal is simply rejected. The filing fee is $943. If your decision is recent, finding out exactly when your 42 days end is the priority. Free information is available now on 0800 461 100.
I was served a deportation liability notice. What are the deadlines?
Two clocks start at once. You have 14 days to give Immigration New Zealand good reason why you should not be deported, and if you hold a temporary visa and are liable under section 157, you have 28 days to appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal on humanitarian grounds. To succeed you must show exceptional humanitarian circumstances making deportation unjust or unduly harsh, and that staying is not contrary to the public interest. Act immediately. Free information on your options is a call away now on 0800 461 100.
Is immigration law different in Southland from the rest of New Zealand?
No. Immigration is national law under the Immigration Act 2009, decided by Immigration New Zealand and appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. The rules in Invercargill are identical to those in Auckland or Wellington. What differs locally is the nearest court (the Invercargill | Waihopai District Court at 35 Don Street) and the local free-help services such as the Southland Community Law Centre. Free information on how the national rules apply to you is available now on 0800 461 100.
My visa expired and I'm now unlawfully in New Zealand. What can I do?
Once your visa expires you are unlawfully in New Zealand under section 154 and become liable for deportation. You generally have 42 days from when your visa expired to lodge a humanitarian appeal with the Tribunal under section 206. Do not simply leave the country first, because departing while unlawful or under a deportation order can bar you from returning. Getting information quickly matters. Our free Southland line is live now on 0800 461 100.
Where is the immigration court for Southland?
Immigration appeals are decided by the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, which is administered nationally by the Ministry of Justice and filed centrally rather than heard at the Invercargill court. The Invercargill | Waihopai District Court at 35 Don Street, Invercargill handles related criminal and family matters. The Southland Community Law Centre on Don Street is the closest free legal-help service. Free information on the right process is available now on 0800 461 100.
Is there free immigration legal help in Invercargill?
Yes. The Southland Community Law Centre, at Level 2 of the Cue/State Insurance Building, 33 Don Street, Invercargill (phone 03 214 3180 or 0800 55 0800), gives free legal information and runs outreach clinics to Gore, Te Anau, Bluff, Riverton and Winton. Community Law's national immigration guides and the Citizens Advice Bureau are also free. Free information on which fits your case is a call away now on 0800 461 100.
What does the Tribunal need to see to stop a deportation?
For a humanitarian appeal to succeed, you must show the Tribunal two things: that there are exceptional circumstances of a humanitarian nature that would make it unjust or unduly harsh to deport you, AND that letting you stay in New Zealand would not be contrary to the public interest. Both limbs must be met. These appeals are document-heavy and the deadlines are short. Free information on what this means for you is available now on 0800 461 100.
How much does an immigration appeal to the Tribunal cost?
The filing fee for a residence appeal is $943, and the fee for deportation appeals is also $943. Refugee and protection appeals carry NO filing fee. Dependent children under 18 included in an appeal do not need a separate fee. These are filing fees only and separate from any lawyer's costs. Free information on the process and the deadlines, before you spend anything, is a call away now on 0800 461 100.
Have New Zealand's immigration rules changed recently?
Yes. The median-wage threshold for the Accredited Employer Work Visa has been removed, so employers must now pay the market rate for the role; the adult minimum wage rises to $23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026; further Skilled Migrant Category changes take effect on 24 August 2026; and new Global Workforce and Peak Seasonal visas opened from 8 December 2025. These apply nationwide, including Southland. Free information on how they affect you is available now on 0800 461 100.
Can I appeal a refugee or protection claim that was declined?
Yes. Declined refugee or protection claims can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, and unlike residence and deportation appeals there is NO filing fee. The time limits are strict, so you should lodge as soon as you receive the decision. A failed claim can lead to deportation, which makes the appeal deadline critical. Free information on the process and your timeframe is a call away now on 0800 461 100.
We connect worried, time-pressured callers across Southland, from Invercargill and Bluff to Gore, Te Anau and Winton, with New Zealand immigration lawyers who can take residence appeals, deportation appeals, refugee and protection matters, and complex visa applications. If you are a New Zealand immigration lawyer, especially one who can cover the Southland region or work remotely with clients in the deep south, we would like to add you to the lawyers we match callers with. Express your interest and we will be in touch as we expand our New Zealand coverage.
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.
Whether your visa was just declined, a deportation liability notice has arrived, or your residence appeal clock is closing, the worst move in New Zealand immigration law is to wait and hope, because the Tribunal cannot extend the 42-day residence deadline and the deportation windows are even shorter. Our free Legal Hotline for Southland is live now on 0800 461 100, with an AI assistant trained on the Immigration Act 2009 and the appeal process, plus a pointer to the free Southland Community Law Centre in Invercargill. This is free legal information, not legal advice, and creates no lawyer-client relationship. Legal Hotline is not a law firm. Just real help, the moment you need it.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.