N1 Objective

At a glance

The N1 Objective establishes the overarching purpose of New Zealand's Transit Visa policy: to permit transit only for those with genuine and lawful intentions. Transit passengers must remain on the craft, in an immigration control area, or in police custody; failure leads to being unlawfully in New Zealand and other serious consequences.[N1][N1.1]

Definition

The objective is set out in two parts:[N1]

1. The objective of Transit Visa instructions is to ensure that only people with genuine and lawful intentions pass through New Zealand en route to other destinations.
2. This objective is achieved by scrutinising the intentions of certain foreign nationals who plan to transit New Zealand.

Application in decisions

When INZ processes a transit visa application, it applies this objective by examining whether the applicant's travel purpose is genuine and whether they are merely passing through New Zealand to reach another destination.[N1] The objective informs all subsequent Transit Visa requirements and is the lens through which an applicant's intentions are assessed.

Obligation of transit passenger

Under N1.1, during the transit period applying to a transit passenger, the transit passenger must remain on board the craft they came to New Zealand on, in an immigration control area, or in the custody of the Police.[N1.1] If a transit passenger fails to comply, the relevant transit period immediately expires and the person:

• is unlawfully in New Zealand;
• does not have any rights of appeal on humanitarian grounds so long as N1.1 applies;
• is liable to be arrested and detained under Part 9 of the Immigration Act 2009; and
• is liable for turnaround.[N1.1]

Interpretation & edge cases

The phrase "certain foreign nationals" indicates that the obligation to obtain a transit visa — and the associated scrutiny — falls only on those passport holders to whom the Transit Visa instructions apply. The objective itself does not define who those persons are, nor does it specify the evidence required; those details are set out in the operational Transit Visa instructions elsewhere in the manual.

Because the objective is intentionally broad, decision‑makers retain the ability to assess the overall credibility of an applicant's transit purpose. "Genuine and lawful intentions" includes, for example, demonstrating a confirmed onward booking, holding the necessary documents for the destination, and not intending to work, study, or remain in New Zealand unlawfully.

Consequences of non‑compliance

The obligation under N1.1 is strict. A transit passenger who breaches the obligation immediately becomes unlawful, loses any right to a humanitarian appeal, and becomes subject to arrest, detention, and turnaround. These consequences reinforce the objective that only compliant transit passengers may pass through New Zealand. The reference to Part 9 of the Immigration Act 2009 means that enforcement powers are available to remove the person from New Zealand without further process.[N1.1]

Citations

• N1 — Objective
• N1.1 — Obligation of transit passenger