All University members acting as sponsors of visitors with access to restricted IT systems, data, or facilities, and all sponsored visitors requiring access to Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland beyond publicly available systems, data and facilities.

To ensure that visitors’ access to restricted University systems, internal, sensitive or restricted data, and restricted facilities is authorised through the correct procedures and that risks associated with visits are assessed and mitigated.

1. All visitors requiring access to restricted University systems, internal, sensitive or restricted data or restricted facilities must be approved by the University for a specified purpose and term prior to their visit in accordance with this policy.

2. All such visitors require a sponsor who must be a University staff member.

Note: Prospective University of Auckland students, conference and event attendees do not require sponsorship unless they require access to restricted University systems, internal, sensitive or restricted data and/or restricted facilities. For school visits to laboratories, adult chaperones must register as sponsored visitors but minors do not need to register, and the trip must be approved by an approval authority.

3. Unless exempted under clause 4, all visitors who require access to restricted facilities, restricted systems, or non-public data must be approved and registered using the Sponsored Visitor Registration Form.

4. Short-term supervised visitors to restricted facilities do not need to be registered through the Sponsored Visitor Registration Form, provided they do not require access to restricted University systems or non-public data. Short-term supervised visitors must be escorted by a staff member authorised to access the space, and must comply with any induction, health and safety, security, or local access requirements set by the relevant facilities manager.

5. International visitors must comply with New Zealand immigration law and hold an appropriate visa for the activities they will undertake while at the University.

Note: Information on visa requirements can be found on the New Zealand Immigration website.

6. The University may make appropriate enquiries, undertake reference checks, request letters of endorsement, or require a memorandum of understanding before approving sponsored visitor status.

7. Sponsored visitors must comply with all University policies, procedures, standards and rules.

8. The University may withdraw its approval of sponsored visitor status and immediately de-provision their access at any time (including where a sponsored visitor or sponsor has not carried out their obligations under this policy).

9. Sponsors of visitors must seek approval by Level 3 line managers, academic heads, or above on the University’s Organisational Structure, or their delegate, and approval must be recorded in the Sponsored Visitor Registration Form, unless the visitor is a short-term supervised visitor to a facility. Members of the Senior Leadership Team may approve their own visitors, but the visit must still be registered. Approvers must consider if the visitor may present any health & safety, security, privacy, reputational or financial risk to the University, as guided by the University’s Risk appetite.

10. Approved, sponsored visitors must self-register to create a University Identity.

11. If the visitor requires IT Services, sponsors must arrange for completion of the IT Service Access for Contractors, Visitors & External Collaborators form on behalf of their sponsored visitors.

12. Visitors to restricted facilities require approval by the University delegate who approves access to particular restricted facilities. The sponsored visitor must comply with any induction, training, health and safety, security, and/or local access requirements for the facility and must receive a level of supervision from a University member that is proportionate to the risks involved.

13. The sponsor must review all applicable University policies, procedures, standards and rules and building-specific processes relevant to the activities to be undertaken by the sponsored visitor and ensure that this information is made available to the visitor for their review before their visit.

Note: Health and safety topics contains the University’s standards, procedures and safe work instructions for a range of health and safety risks and topics.

14. The sponsor must record the types and levels of access that have been provisioned to a sponsored visitor, have oversight of the visitor for the duration of their access period, and de-provision that access once the visit or collaboration has ended.

15. Sponsored visitors continue to be bound by University policies and procedures until their access has been de-provisioned, regardless of whether they continue to meet the definition of a sponsored visitor.

Facilities manager means the staff member with delegated health and safety responsibilities over a specific area. Examples of possible positions with these responsibilities include Laboratory Manager, Technical Services Manager, Technical Team Lead, Facilities and Service Managers, Kaituki Marae or Fale Pasifika Coordinator.

Internal, sensitive or restricted data are defined in the Data classification standard.

International visitors are visitors to University facilities and systems who are not Aotearoa New Zealand residents or citizens and do not have a contractual relationship with the University.

Level 3 line managers are staff members with direct responsibility for a school, department, or service unit included on the University’s Organisational Structure Senior Line Management View, including academic heads, and heads of school.

Restricted facilities are defined by the facilities manager and could refer to any physical space, building, or area owned, leased, or controlled by the University where access is limited to authorized personnel due to the nature of activities conducted, the presence of sensitive or hazardous materials, or the requirement to protect confidential information, intellectual property, critical resources, or any other purpose identified by the facilities manager. These spaces are most often protected by swipe card access and also store internal, sensitive or restricted data.

Short-term supervised visitor means a visitor who is present in a University space for a limited, one-off visit of less than four hours, does not undertake work or provide services for the University, and remains subject to any supervision, escort, health and safety, security, or local access requirements set by the relevant facilities manager. Examples may include guests attending a tour, presentation, observation activity, or similar short-duration visit.

Sponsor means a University staff member who acts as the sponsor of a visitor and is responsible for complying with the sponsor’s obligations under this policy.

Sponsored visitor means a person who is not a University member and has been sponsored by a University staff member to visit university facilities or systems for a specified purpose and has been approved by a level 3 or above line manager or their delegate.

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part time basis.

Supervision refers to the oversight and monitoring of a visitor’s activities to ensure compliance with safety, security, and operational requirements. This may be conducted in-person by a designated host or escort, or through alternative methods, such as electronic monitoring, access control systems, periodic check-ins, or other appropriate measures based on the level of risk involved. The degree of supervision should be proportionate to the nature of the visitor’s access, the sensitivity of the environment, and any associated risks.

University means Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

University members of Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland are all students, staff members, honorary and adjunct staff, contractors and subcontractors, service agents and technicians, consultants, co-locators, tenants, landlords, landlord’s agents and members of University Council.

Visitor means a person who is not a University member who is on University property, including University digital systems.

Customs and Excise Act 2018
Data Governance Policy
Fraud Policy and Procedures
Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
IT Acceptable Use Policy
IT Security Policy
Trusted Research – Protective Security Requirements (TR-PSR)
Export controls compliance and obligations
New Zealand Immigration Visa guidance
University Of Auckland Intellectual Property Created By Staff And Students Policy

Owner: Deputy Vice-Chancellor Operations & Registrar
Content manager: Risk Office Manager
Approved by: Vice-Chancellor
Date approved: 5 May 2025
Date last reviewed: 4 September 2026
Review date: 4 September 2031