Kiwis hoping to return home early in the new year are once again facing additional delays.
The emergence of the Covid-19 Omicron variant has already seen MIQ-free trips pushed back to the end of February.
It means those who had hoped to still return this month appear to be out of options as Thursday's MIQ lottery of about 1200 rooms is for dates in March and April.
Melbourne-based Simon James was hoping to return home for his younger sister’s wedding on January 29, but it now seems unlikely.
"It's my sister, it would have been really special to be there. It's just really gutting, a family memory that they will have, but I'll never be part of," he told 1News.
James, like thousands of others, had not tried to get an MIQ slot earlier, thinking it was no longer needed.
"It's more frustrating, I guess, the Australian system, like when Aussies were trying to come home, there was a room guaranteed, whereas New Zealand - it's Kiwis competing with Kiwis trying to get home."
Prior to Omicron's emergence, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it had 10,000 MIQ slots each month.
But on December 16, only 3300 rooms were released. Thursday's release will bring that total to 4500.
The ministry said capacity was greatly reduced when MIQ stays were extended to ten days.
The complexity of managing the more contagious variant, while helping with the return of those travellers unexpectedly stranded in Australia has meant availability across January and February in particular is tight.
But those inside MIQ are also frustrated after seeing how other nations have adapted to travel in Covid times.
"After being in Europe for three months, and seeing how it is managed, I was going in and out of international borders, the process was a lot more fluid," Kiwi in MIQ Jenni Lee Reardon said.
James added that "it's just hard to see when the end point is".
“Are we going to have to wait until it’s 90 per cent triple dosed, or quadruple dosed?” he asked.
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