Global Microsoft Outage Forces New Zealand to Suspend All Visa Processing, Delays System Changes; NZeTA Unaffected
Updated: 3 hours ago
WELLINGTON, 14 November 2026 – A global Microsoft 365 outage that began on Thursday, 12 November 2026 has forced Immigration New Zealand (INZ) to suspend the processing of all visa applications until further notice and to block new applications through its Enhanced Immigration Online platform, in one of the most significant immigration consequences of the widespread IT disruption. The suspension, announced on Friday, 13 November, affects visa applicants across every category and has also pushed back a package of planned immigration system changes by one week. The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) remains operational and unaffected, according to the official INZ news release on the Microsoft outage impact, and the list of affected applications is published on the INZ “Applications affected by this issue” page.
New Zealand: All Visa Processing Paused and Online Applications Blocked
Immigration New Zealand’s statement confirms that the agency “has paused the processing of all visa applications until further notice” because of the global Microsoft outage, and that customers cannot currently apply through the Enhanced Immigration Online platform. The pause applies to all visa categories, not a subset, and no resumption date has been announced. The INZ affected applications page lists the following application forms as affected:
Student visas
Group Visitor Visas
Work visas
Partner and child visas
Straight to Residence Visa
Work to Residence Visa
Transport Work to Residence Visa
Care Workforce Work to Residence Visa
For Visitor Visa applicants, the INZ page states that applications can still be made using Enhanced Immigration Online, although the platform is otherwise experiencing disruption. The distinction matters: the suspension of processing is universal, but the ability to lodge an application depends on the specific form and platform.
For applicants who have already submitted a visa application, the suspension is likely to extend processing times for tourist, work, and study visas. INZ has apologised for the disruption, attributing it to circumstances beyond its control. Prospective applicants should monitor the INZ news centre for the resumption date before making travel or enrolment commitments tied to a visa decision.
System Changes Delayed by One Week to 23 November 2026
The outage has also forced INZ to postpone a set of planned immigration system changes that were originally scheduled to take effect on Monday, 16 November 2026. These changes will now take effect on Monday, 23 November 2026, one week later. The postponed measures, as confirmed in INZ communications and reported by 1News and BusinessDesk, include:
The transfer to Enhanced Immigration Online of temporary visa applications submitted by certain family members of New Zealand citizens.
The rollout of new provisions relating to the Short-term Graduate Work Visa (SGWV) and the Post-Study Work Visa (PSWV) , two categories for international graduates wishing to work in New Zealand. The new Short-term Graduate Work Visa, which was due to be available from 16 November, has also been delayed by one week.
The extension of the ability to submit a digital copy of the passport when applying for a Visitor Visa and an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) , a change intended to improve the collection of biographical data and strengthen the reliability of information used for visa issuance.
The delay is a direct consequence of the Microsoft outage and affects both applicants and employers who had planned around the 16 November commencement date. The revised effective date is 23 November 2026.
NZeTA Remains Operational and Unaffected
Despite the broad disruption to visa processing, INZ has confirmed that “there is no impact on customers being able to request a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) to travel to New Zealand and our service continues as usual” . The NZeTA is a separate system from the visa application platform, and travellers from visa-waiver countries—including French citizens and nationals of many other European countries—can continue to apply for an NZeTA before departure for a tourist stay of up to three months. The NZeTA is generally valid for two years. No interruption to NZeTA issuance or delivery times has been announced in the INZ statement regarding the Microsoft outage, and no general suspension of international arrivals or border controls has been announced.
Singapore: ICA FormSG Responses Delayed, Singpass and Emergency Services Unaffected
The Microsoft outage has also disrupted government services in Singapore. The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has reported that responses to some applications submitted through FormSG, the administrative forms platform used by public services, may be delayed. ICA has advised those needing urgent assistance to use the ICA Feedback Form or call 6391-6100, as reported by The Straits Times and 8world. The Singapore Government Technology Agency (GovTech) has confirmed that several government systems, including email services, were affected, but that the Singpass digital identification system and emergency services remain operational. The Singapore Arrival Card (SGAC) has not been reported as affected in official communications.
Australia: DFAT Alerts Users to Microsoft Outage, No Visa Suspension Announced
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has issued an alert regarding the global Microsoft outage, directing people with urgent sanctions-related enquiries to contact the Australian Sanctions Office by telephone. DFAT has also stated that there is a broad service disruption affecting DAFF messaging due to the Microsoft D365 outage, meaning clients may be unable to send or receive emails from departmental systems. Other Australian public bodies, including the federal police and intelligence services, have acknowledged being affected. At this stage, however, no suspension of Australian visa applications or electronic travel authorisations (eVisitor and ETA) has been officially announced in connection with the incident.
Microsoft’s Response and the Cause of the Outage
Microsoft has attributed the disruption to “elevated load” on its infrastructure, specifically a process handling secure connections that became overloaded, causing servers to stop processing requests. The company has stated that it is not aware of any malicious activity causing the incident, indicating that the outage is a technical failure rather than a cyberattack. Microsoft has acknowledged that its fixes are “not taking as expected” and has been testing configuration changes and limiting traffic in some locations to stabilise servers. The company has reported “broader improvements in North America, sustained improvements across much of Europe, and encouraging recovery signals in Asia-Pacific” , according to The Guardian and NZ Herald. The outage affected Microsoft products in 74 countries and territories, with disruptions reported across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Microsoft’s official service health updates are published through the Microsoft 365 Status account and the Microsoft 365 admin center, tracked under incident IDs including MO1550821 and EX1550543.
Key Points at a Glance
Aspect | Detail |
Outage start | Thursday, 12 November 2026 |
New Zealand visa processing | Suspended until further notice for all categories |
Online application access | Enhanced Immigration Online platform blocked for most forms; Visitor Visa applications can still be made |
Affected visa categories | Student, Group Visitor, Work, Partner and child, Straight to Residence, Work to Residence, Transport Work to Residence, Care Workforce Work to Residence |
Planned system changes | Postponed from 16 November to 23 November 2026 (SGWV, PSWV, digital passport copy for Visitor Visa and AEWV, family temporary visa transfer) |
NZeTA | Operational and unaffected |
Singapore | ICA FormSG responses delayed; Singpass and emergency services unaffected |
Australia | DFAT sanctions enquiries directed to telephone; no visa suspension announced |
Microsoft cause | Elevated load on servers handling secure connections; no evidence of cyberattack |
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Conclusion
The Microsoft outage has produced a concrete and immediate immigration consequence in New Zealand: visa processing is paused across all categories, the Enhanced Immigration Online platform is blocking most new applications, and a package of planned system changes has been pushed back by a week. The NZeTA remains a functioning channel for visa-waiver travellers, but anyone relying on a visa decision—whether for study, work, residence, or family reunification—should expect indefinite delays until INZ confirms that processing has resumed. The disruptions in Singapore and Australia are more limited, affecting form responses and email communications rather than visa decisions. The official references are the INZ Microsoft outage news release, the INZ affected applications page, and Microsoft’s service health channels. Travellers with imminent departure dates should check the INZ website regularly for updates.
For more news and daily updates on New Zealand visas and immigration policy, visit visasupdate.com.
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