Quick visa question (U.S. Citizen)
 

We're headed to Australia in April, and I've figured out how to apply, as a U.S. citizen, for a Visa online. Question, though: since we're taking Air New Zealand, we will be going from LAX to Auckland; change planes and a few hours in the airport in Auckland, both ways, before continuing on to Australia.

Do we need a Visa for New Zealand? Since we plan to actually go to New Zealand later this year, I guess I also need to know if New Zealand requires U.S. Citizens to obtain a Visa at all and, if so, what type.

Thanks!

Doubt you'll need a visa just to transfer, but you need to check the Auckland airport information because if it has a screwy terminal situation like Sydney, you might.

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-.../options/visit

As a U.S. citizen, you'll need to get an electronic visa ahead of time for Australia:
https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETAS3/etas
As you're just transferring through the Auckland airport and not entering the country, you won't need a visa for NZ

For your later visit to NZ, you will be issued a visitor visa on arrival. Though if you have a criminal record, and I doubt you do, you may be held up for a while or denied entry into the country.
This is an excerpt from NZ Immigration's visitor visa guide:
"If you are in one of these groups, you are a ‘visawaiver visitor’, and you do not need a visitor visa to travel to New Zealand. You need to apply for a visitor visa, but you will do this by completing an arrival card on the aircraft/ship on your way to New Zealand. You must also: • hold a valid ticket out of New Zealand to a country you have the right of entry to • have enough money to support yourself during your stay • hold a passport valid for three months beyond the date you are leaving New Zealand. The visa you are granted will allow a stay in New Zealand of no more than six months in a 12-month period. The 12-month period is calculated backwards from the last day you intend to be in New Zealand. For example, if you want to stay until 1 December 2014, you should count back 12 months, which would have been 1 December 2013"
For more info, see:
Attachment 253

Here's a link to NZ's arrival card (for your future visit to NZ):
Attachment 254

Thanks. I got the Australian visa, and what was throwing me for a loop was New Zealand's immigration website that said a transit visa was not necessary if one had an Australian Visa and was stopping in New Zealand solely to continue on to Australia. And being the over-thinker that I am, I thought, well that's great coming from LAX via Auckland and on to Sydney, but the return flight from Melbourne via Auckland to LAX was not going TO Australia, but coming FROM Australia. But I sorted it out with a travel agent and Air New Zealand, both stating no Visa necessary.

But the cost and documentation needed to actually visit New Zealand seems like a lot, compared to the ease of getting an electronic visa for Australia!

Have a great time in OZ. You probably noticed your electronic visa is good for re-entry up for a year. I think this is a strong incentive to return.