If a deportation order has been issued, you have the right to appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal — within 28 or 42 days depending on the reason. Factual error + humanitarian grounds. The IPT can grant up to 5 years' stay.
If a deportation order has been issued against you, you have the legal right to appeal — but you must act within 28 or 42 days depending on the situation.
If you stay in New Zealand after your visa expires, you are unlawfully present and liable for deportation. Immigration New Zealand may issue a Deportation Liability Notice (DLN). Being liable for deportation is serious — you could be detained or banned from returning for many years.
However, the law allows you to challenge this. Depending on your situation, you can ask the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) to let you stay.
The IPT is an independent judicial body — it does not work for Immigration New Zealand. Its role is to review whether INZ’s decision was fair.
Key facts:
You must act fast. Missing the deadline means the IPT cannot help you.
| Situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Visa expired (unlawful status) | 42 days from expiry |
| Deportation Liability Notice received | 28 days from receipt |
| Visa granted in error | 28 days from notice |
| Character or criminal issues | 28 days from notice |
To succeed, you must prove one of two things:
If successful, the IPT can cancel your deportation or grant a stay of up to 5 years.
The 28- or 42-day clock starts running on the day you receive the deportation order or DLN. Even one day late and you lose the appeal route. Engage representation in the first week; the document-gathering and humanitarian-evidence preparation needs every available day.
Source: immigration.govt.nz — verified as of 2026-04-13.
Last reviewed . Information may have changed since this article was reviewed. For your specific case, talk to a licensed immigration adviser.