新西兰访客签证改为网上申请
People wanting to visit New Zealand can no longer apply for most types of visitor visa on paper.
From the first of October, Immigration New Zealand stopped accepting paper application forms for 24 kinds of visitor visa, as well as transit visas. These include ordinary visitor visas, business visitor visas, and the special visa for parents and grandparents coming to see their families. Applicants now have to use the department's online system instead.
Paper applications that were already sent in before the deadline will still be processed as normal. In exceptional cases, such as when someone has no way of applying online, paper forms may still be accepted, but applicants have to contact the department first.
A few categories, including some partner and child visitor visas, are not affected for now. However, officials say these may also move online in the future.
The department says applying online has several advantages. Instead of posting copies of documents, applicants can simply upload them. They can check the progress of their application at any time, and the system can read passport details automatically, which reduces mistakes.
The move is part of a wider push by governments around the world to make immigration paperless. For travellers, the message is simple: start your application early, and make sure you use the official website.
想来新西兰的人，现在大多数类型的访客签证已经不能再用纸质表格申请了。
从 10 月 1 日起，新西兰移民局不再接受 24 种访客签证和过境签证的纸质申请，其中包括普通访客签证、商务访客签证，以及专门给来探亲的父母和祖父母的签证。申请人现在必须使用移民局的网上系统。
在截止日期之前已经寄出的纸质申请，仍会照常处理。在特殊情况下，比如申请人根本没办法在网上申请，纸质表格仍有可能被接受，但申请人必须先联系移民局。
少数类别，包括部分伴侣和子女访客签证，暂时不受影响。不过官方表示，这些签证将来也可能改为网上申请。
移民局说，网上申请有不少好处：不用再邮寄文件复印件，直接上传就行；申请人随时都能查看办理进度；系统还能自动读取护照信息，减少填错的情况。
这一变化是全球各国政府推动移民手续无纸化的一部分。对旅客来说，记住一点就够了：早点开始申请，并且一定要使用官方网站。