You Received a Deportation Liability Notice — What Now
A deportation liability notice tells you that INZ has determined a ground for deportation applies to you, and it starts a clock. The period is set out in the notice itself. It is not a deportation order, and that distinction decides whether a section 61 request is still possible. Appeal rights are conditional, and one exclusion is absolute.
Quick Facts
| What it is | Written notice that INZ has determined you are liable for deportation |
| What it is not | A deportation order — those are a separate, later step |
| Response period | Stated in the notice. Read it today |
| Appeal body | Immigration and Protection Tribunal — liability for deportation is one of the five matters it hears |
| Appeal rights | Not automatic — they depend on your circumstances and when the liability arose |
| Absolute exclusion | "You cannot appeal if the last visa you held was a limited visa" |
| Appeal fee | NZ$964 for each of the three deportation appeal types. Includes GST. Cannot be waived |
| Dependent children under 18 | No additional fee |
| Published timeframe | Non-resident deportation appeals generally determined within 8 to 10 months |
| Section 61 | Still possible at the liability stage; not possible once a deportation order has been issued |
INZ and Ministry of Justice published information, checked 20 August 2026.
What this document is
A deportation liability notice records that INZ has determined that one of the published grounds for deportation applies to you. The grounds are: staying beyond your visa's expiry date, breaching other visa conditions, committing a criminal offence, your circumstances no longer meeting the rules your visa was granted under, or false or misleading information having been provided. See deportation liability explained.
Liability for deportation is one of the five matters the Immigration and Protection Tribunal hears. The others are residence class visa decisions, recognition as a refugee or protected person, decisions to stop recognising a person, and cancellation of a New Zealand citizen's recognition.
What this document is not
It is not a deportation order. That distinction is the single most consequential thing on this page, and it is routinely blurred in the material people find online.
The difference has one immediate practical consequence:
INZ states: "You cannot be granted a visa under section 61 if a deportation order has already been issued to you."
At the liability stage, a section 61 request remains a mechanism that exists. At the order stage, it cannot produce a visa. Same person, same file, different door.
So the first question is not "what should I do" but "which document is this". If the notice does not make that clear to you, that is the first thing to ask a lawyer — today, not next week.
What to check on the notice itself
This section deliberately describes what to read, not what to write. Preparing a response to a deportation liability notice for a named person is regulated immigration advice, and a template response would be both unlawful for us to publish and useless to you, because the whole assessment turns on your individual facts.
Six things to locate on the document:
1. The period you have to respond. It is stated in the notice. That period is the only one that binds you, and it is the reason this page publishes no day count of its own.
2. The ground relied on. Which of the five published grounds INZ says applies, and the facts it relies on.
3. The date. When the notice was issued, and when you received it.
4. What it says about appeal rights. INZ publishes that you "may be able to appeal against your deportation liability, depending on your circumstances and the time the liability arose" — so the notice, and your immigration history, are where the answer lives.
5. What your last visa was. Because of the exclusion below.
6. The contact details and reference number. You will need both, and so will anyone advising you.
The exclusion that ends the appeal route entirely
"You cannot appeal if the last visa you held was a limited visa."
INZ's own wording, checked 20 August 2026.
A Limited Visa is granted for a specific purpose and does not permit the holder to apply for other visas from inside New Zealand. Recognised Seasonal Employer workers hold Limited Visas, which means a large group of seasonal workers — many from Pacific nations — has no deportation appeal at all.
Check what your last visa was before you spend anything on an appeal. See the RSE visa explained.
The appeal, if one exists
Deportation appeals are heard by the Immigration and Protection Tribunal — independent of INZ, administered by the Ministry of Justice, chaired by a District Court Judge.
Three deportation appeal types, one fee:
| Appeal type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Deportation Appeal by a Resident or Permanent Resident | NZ$964 |
| Deportation Appeal by a Non-Resident | NZ$964 |
| Deportation Appeal – Cancelled Refugee and Protected Person | NZ$964 |
Fees include GST and cannot be waived. Dependent children under 18 included in an appeal require no additional fee.
The grounds for a Deportation Appeal by a Non-Resident are a published list:
- being unlawfully in New Zealand
- a temporary or interim visa granted in error
- holding a visa under a false identity
- sufficient reason to deport having been determined
- being a refugee or protection claimant who would be entitled to a humanitarian appeal
Full process detail: appealing deportation to the IPT.
The deadline — the notice, then the guide
This page states no number of days, and that is deliberate. The response and appeal deadlines for deportation liability were not established from a primary source, and INZ does not publish them in a general form.
Two documents govern your deadline:
- The notice itself, which states the period.
- The Ministry of Justice guide for your appeal type, which explains how the period is calculated. The Ministry states that "each of the guides contains information on how to calculate the timeframe in which you can appeal".
The guides are at justice.govt.nz/tribunals/immigration/immigration-and-protection/make-an-appeal/forms-and-fees/.
Confirm both immediately. Where an appeal is involved, the Tribunal must receive the appeal and the fee within the period — a lodged appeal with an unpaid fee is not an accepted appeal.
One further mechanical point that has cost people their appeals: the Tribunal warns "Do not send anything to this address by the ordinary post, because NZ Post will not deliver to this address and your appeal will not be received." The Federal Street address is a courier address. Use courier, the DX box, email to [email protected], the online form, or lodge in person.
Step 1: Confirm whether this is a liability notice or a deportation order
It determines whether section 61 remains available. If you cannot tell from the document, ask a lawyer today.
Step 2: Find the period stated in the notice and write down the date
Everything else runs from it. Do not rely on a figure from any website, including this one.
Step 3: Establish what your last visa was
If it was a limited visa, INZ publishes that no appeal is available, and that changes what is worth doing next.
Step 4: Get lawful representation, immediately
Responding to a deportation liability notice for a named person is immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. Giving it without a licence carries up to NZ$100,000 and seven years' imprisonment, and the Act applies "whether or not for gain or reward".
Three lawful sources of help:
- New Zealand lawyers with a current practising certificate — exempt from IAA licensing, and the route INZ itself points to on deportation matters
- Licensed immigration advisers — verify anyone on the Immigration Advisers Authority register at app.mbieregisters.govt.nz/iaa/ui/start/searchForAnOccupationalRegistration
- Community Law Centres — employees and volunteers are exempt where a lawyer is on the employing body or supervising the work, which often makes this the accessible route for someone with no income or work rights
See immigration adviser vs immigration lawyer and unlicensed immigration advice penalties.
Step 5: Use official channels only
INZ's contact details are on the notice. The section 61 channel is [email protected]. The Tribunal is at [email protected].
People holding a deportation liability notice are a target for fraud, precisely because they are frightened and unlikely to complain. New Zealand has no paid fast-track and no purchasable intervention at any price. See immigration scams to avoid.
What is not on this page
Detention and removal procedures are not described here, because none were established from a primary source. The mechanics of deportation orders and the specific statutory provisions in this area are likewise not published by INZ, which explicitly recommends consulting a lawyer instead. That recommendation is the honest answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a deportation liability notice in New Zealand?
Written notice from INZ that it has determined one of the published grounds for deportation applies to you. Liability for deportation is one of the five matters the Immigration and Protection Tribunal hears. It is not a deportation order.
How do I respond to a deportation liability notice?
The notice states the period you have to respond and the contact details to use. Preparing the response itself for a named person is regulated immigration advice — that work belongs to a New Zealand lawyer, a licensed immigration adviser, or a Community Law Centre where a lawyer supervises.
How long do I have to respond to a deportation liability notice in NZ?
The period is stated in the notice. Where an appeal is involved, the Ministry of Justice guide for that appeal type explains how the appeal timeframe is calculated. This site publishes no day count, because the figure was not established from a primary source and being wrong would cost a reader their rights.
Can I appeal a deportation liability notice?
INZ publishes that you may be able to appeal depending on your circumstances and the time the liability arose. Appeals go to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal and cost NZ$964, which cannot be waived. You cannot appeal if the last visa you held was a limited visa.
Can I still make a section 61 request after a deportation liability notice?
At the liability stage, section 61 remains a mechanism that exists. INZ states that no visa can be granted under section 61 once a deportation order has been issued. Establishing which stage you are at is the first thing to do.
Does a deportation liability notice mean I will be deported?
Liability is a determination that a ground applies. It is not the removal itself, and it is not a deportation order. What follows depends on circumstances, on whether an appeal right exists, and on the steps taken within the period stated in the notice.
How much does it cost to appeal deportation in New Zealand?
NZ$964 including GST for each of the three deportation appeal types. The fee cannot be waived and the Tribunal will not accept an appeal without it. Dependent children under 18 included in the appeal cost nothing extra.
