This is an automatically generated report on immigration from New Zealand to the United States of America using data from the US State Department and the US Department of Homeland Security.

Visa Statistics from the US State Department

Nonimmigrant Visas

For Fiscal Year 2021 there were 2,840 nonimmigrant visas issued for New Zealand, compared to a global average of 13,960 nonimmigrant visas issued per country. This represents a -47% change from the previous fiscal year.

Most common nonimmigrant visas:

Visa FY 2021 FY2020 % Change FY2016 2021-2016 % Change
Business visitor or tourist (B1/B2) 628 1,637 -61.6% 3,551 -82.3%
Student (F1) 534 345 54.8% 701 -23.8%
Transiting the United States (C1/D) 229 602 -62% 834 -72.5%
Transiting the United States (C3) 216 246 -12.2% 821 -73.7%
Exchange Visitor (J1) 205 792 -74.1% 2,023 -89.9%
Diplomat or foreign government official (A2) 173 464 -62.7% 1,079 -84%
Foreign national with extraordinary ability in Sciences-Arts-Education-Business or Athletics (O1) 99 130 -23.8% 172 -42.4%
Intra-company transferee (L1) 86 152 -43.4% 364 -76.4%
Intra-company transferee (L2) 75 118 -36.4% 315 -76.2%
Treaty trader or investor (E2) 71 52 36.5% 9 688.9%

Immigrant Visas

From 2022-07-01 to 2021-08-01 there were 237 immigrant visas issued for New Zealand compared to a global average of 2,409 immigrant visas per country over the same time period.

Most common immigrant visas:

Visa Total Visas Issued
Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) 100
Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (IR1) 42
Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (CR1) 25
Returning Resident (SB1) 15
Unmarried children of IR1 Visa Holders (IR2) 13
Priority Workers (E1) 10
Siblings of US citizens and/or their children and spouses (F4) 8
Professionals and Other Workers (E3) 7
Parents of US Citizen (IR5) 5
Unmarried sons and daughters of US Citizens and their children (F1) 3

Immigration Statistics from the US Department of Homeland Security

Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Moving on the refugees and asylees (asylum seekers), in FY 2020 there were new refugee arrivals and new asylees. The primary difference between refugees and asylees is that refugees are not currently in the US while asylees are either already in the US or at a point of entry. Among asylees, were affirmative asylees, who had proactively applied for asylum, and were defensive asylees, meaning they are currently in removal proceedings in an immigration court.

Sometimes immigrants, legal or otherwise, must be removed from their host country. In FY 2020, 143 people from New Zealand were determined inadmissible, meaning they were not approved to enter the US. A further 19 were apprehended within the US on suspicion of being there illegally, of which D were removed for non-criminal charges and D were removed on criminal charges, with the remainder either released on still awaiting a final decision.