Nonrefundable visitor levy is ‘underhand’ – immigration advisor

The Kākāpō Recovery Programme received a grant of $8 million, paid for by the International Visitor Levy. (Image: NZ Herald)

Jem Traylen

Tue, 10 Sep 2024

The Government stands to make around $10 million a year by taxing tourists who will never set foot in the country.A non-refundable International Visitor Levy (IVL), set to increase to $100, is paid along with other visa processing fees on application, and nothing is refunded if the visa is declined.A separate border levy is also collected by travel agents, which covers the costs of Customs and biosecurity.While visa application fees are meant to recover Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) costs, the IVL pays for tourism and conservation proje...

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