Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT)
The Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) is the independent New Zealand tribunal that hears appeals against declined residence applications, deportation liability, and refugee and protection decisions. It was established under the Immigration Act 2009, is chaired by a District Court judge, and is administered by the Ministry of Justice — it is not part of Immigration New Zealand.
What the tribunal hears
- Residence appeals — against a declined residence class visa application, generally within 42 days. See appeal rights explained.
- Deportation appeals— against deportation liability, on the facts and on humanitarian grounds (the “unjust or unduly harsh” test). See facing deportation.
- Refugee and protection appeals — against declined recognition as a refugee or protected person, and cessation decisions.
What the tribunal cannot hear
There is no appeal to the IPT against a declined temporary visa — work, visitor or student. The tribunal has said so in hundreds of its published decisions, because hundreds of people have tried. If a temporary application was declined, the realistic paths are a fresh application, reconsideration where available, or advice on what went wrong — see options after a declined visa.
How often appeals succeed
Outcome rates across the tribunal's published decisions, by appeal type. “Allowed” is the share of decided appeals (allowed + dismissed) that succeeded — outcomes reflect case selection as much as advocacy, and past rates decide nothing about any individual case. Full analysis: appeal success rates.
| Appeal type | Decided | Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Refugee & protection | 6,667 | 21% |
| Deportation: non-resident | 3,951 | 37% |
| Residence: skilled migrant | 3,767 | 48% |
| Residence: partnership | 1,515 | 52% |
| Residence: parent | 1,185 | 42% |
| Deportation: resident | 694 | 33% |
| Deportation | 608 | 20% |
| Residence: sibling & adult child | 399 | 49% |
| Residence: special policies | 275 | 72% |
| Residence: business entrepreneur | 259 | 45% |
| Residence: other | 251 | 57% |
| Residence: business investor | 200 | 51% |
| Residence: dependent child | 166 | 66% |
| Residence: family (other) | 66 | 50% |
IPT, IACDT and IAA — three different bodies
- The IPT hears appeals against immigration decisions — this page.
- The IACDT hears complaints about licensed immigration advisers — this site summarises every published IACDT decision.
- The IAA is the regulator that licenses advisers in the first place — see what the IAA does.
Help with a visa appeal
Appeal deadlines are short and the represented-vs-self gap above is large. Every practitioner profile on this site shows its published IPT appeal record — matched conservatively, ordered by register facts, never by payment.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Immigration and Protection Tribunal?
- The Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) is the independent New Zealand tribunal that hears appeals against declined residence applications, deportation liability, and refugee and protection decisions. It was established under the Immigration Act 2009, is chaired by a District Court judge, and is administered by the Ministry of Justice.
- Can I appeal a declined work, visitor or student visa to the IPT?
- No. There is no appeal right to the tribunal for declined temporary visas — the tribunal has said in hundreds of published decisions that it is not a review body for temporary visa declines. The realistic responses to a declined temporary visa are a fresh application, a request for reconsideration where available, or professional advice on what went wrong.
- How long do I have to appeal to the IPT?
- The deadlines are statutory and strict: generally 42 days for a residence appeal, and 28 or 42 days for deportation appeals depending on the ground, counted from when you are told of the decision. The tribunal has no general power to extend a missed deadline, which is how many appeals end before they start.
- How often do IPT appeals succeed?
- Success rates differ sharply by appeal type. Across the 20,574 published decisions analysed on this site, represented appellants in the four biggest appeal categories succeeded in about 43% of decided appeals, against about 27% for people who represented themselves — a gap that reflects case selection as much as advocacy.
- Is the IPT part of Immigration New Zealand?
- No. Immigration New Zealand is the government agency (within MBIE) that makes visa and deportation decisions; the IPT is the independent tribunal that hears appeals against some of those decisions. It is also separate from the IACDT, which handles complaints about licensed immigration advisers.
Sources
General information, not immigration advice. Outcome figures are computed from the tribunal's published decisions and refresh as new decisions are analysed; deadlines are statutory — confirm your own deadline from the decision letter and the Act before relying on anything here.