Resident keeps his visa after deportation notice

[Applicant A] came to New Zealand in 2019 to work as an automotive electrician, a skill on the shortage list, and was granted residence in 2022. In September 2022, after a workmate’s farewell, he drove a colleague to a bus stop in heavy rain after drinking and was stopped by police. He was later convicted of drink driving, fined, and lost his licence for six months. That conviction meant he could be deported, and in June 2025 Immigration New Zealand sent him a formal notice saying his residence was at risk.

We prepared a detailed written response covering every point a decision-maker is expected to weigh. We were honest about the offending but showed it was at the lower end of the scale, with no crash, no injury, and a single conviction in 40 years. We proved his change of behaviour with his own letter of remorse, current clear police certificates, and references from friends, colleagues, and employers. We set out six years of full-time work, about $XX,000 in income tax paid, and his role in a trade New Zealand is short of. We also reminded Immigration New Zealand that the law requires it to genuinely weigh the factors and give reasons, not just list them.

Immigration New Zealand suspended his deportation for two years. As long as he stays out of trouble during that period, his liability for deportation will be cancelled and he keeps his residence.

A deportation notice after a conviction is not the end of the road, because the law gives Immigration New Zealand the power to cancel or suspend it when removal would be out of proportion to what happened. Being honest about the offending while showing where it sits on the scale is far more convincing than trying to play it down. Genuine change has to be evidenced, so a personal letter, current clear police certificates, and references that speak to changed behaviour do the real work. And where there is no family to keep together, a long history of settlement, steady work, and tax paid becomes the heart of the case.