Immigration New Zealand border national manager Senta Jehle said immigration officers had been posted to Queenstown only during the peak tourist season until now, with immigration issues at other times of the year being handled remotely with the help of Customs staff.
A decision on the number of officers to be based at the airport had yet to be made.
In a pre-Budget announcement last week, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said $33 million of new spending would allow for an extra 36 staff, including border officers, at Queenstown, Christchurch and Auckland airports.
The move had been prompted by record-breaking visitor numbers.
''Positive growth in our tourism and export education sectors has seen the need for additional resources and investment to manage the increased number of passengers and the changing nature of global risk,'' he said.
In the year to March, 322,328 international passengers passed through Queenstown Airport, up 27.6% on the corresponding period last year.
