On behalf of Hon Iain Lees-Galloway, Minister of Immigration, Minister for
ACC and Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, thank you for your
email.  Please consider this email as an acknowledgement.

Thank you for taking the time to write and please be assured that your
comments will be read by the Minister.  Due to the high volume of
enquiries at this time, processing time may take longer than normal.

You may also find the following websites useful:

o [1]https://covid19.govt.nz/
o [2]Immigration New Zealand website
o [3]Employment New Zealand website;
o [4]WorkSafe website;
o [5]ACC website

If your email falls outside of the Minister’s portfolio responsibilities,
expresses a personal view or is copied to multiple Members of Parliament,
then your opinion will be noted and your correspondence may be transferred
to another office, or there may be no further response to you.

 

Your patience is appreciated at this time.

 

Thank you for all you have done to help break the chain and stop the
spread of COVID-19. Everyone has played a part in keeping us safe. It has
been an amazing effort. Now our job is to ensure we don’t waste that hard
work. 

 

So stay safe as we get moving again in Level 2, don’t forget to keep
washing your hands, keep physical distancing, and ensure we can do contact
tracing in case of another outbreak.

 

For the latest health information and advice on COVID-19, please visit
the [6]Ministry of Health's website.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Office of Hon Iain Lees-Galloway

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

Minister of Immigration

Minister for ACC

Deputy Leader of the House | MP for Palmerston North

P: 64 (4) 817 8713 | E: [7][Iain Lees-Galloway request email]  

                        Authorised by Hon Iain Lees-Galloway, Wellington

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Good Afternoon

 

We acknowledge receipt of your official information request which we
received today, for the following information;

    

 I would like to request information about how INZ allocates the
non-prioritised Skilled Migrant Applications.

 

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us...

 

Referring to the link above, "Applications that don’t meet either
criterion for prioritisation are allocated to an immigration officer in
the order they are received", but I have known a number of cases where the
applications lodged later are allocated to Case Officer before those
lodged earlier? Specifically, some cases lodged in Mar 2019 get allocated
around Sep 2019, and some lodged in Nov 2019 get allocated in early 2020,
etc. They all don't match the priority criteria and have NO special
circumstances.

 

Could you please explain why INZ doesn't follow the order of lodgement in
some cases?

 

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in
any event no later than 20 working days after the day your request was
received.

 

If we are unable to respond to your request within the appropriate
timeframe, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.  If your
OIA request requires full or part transfer, we will contact you within the
required timeframe.

 

Regards

 

[1]Crest Office Hon Iain Lees-Galloway

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

Minister of Immigration

Minister for ACC

Deputy Leader of the House | MP for Palmerston North

P: 64 (4) 817 8713 | E: [2][Iain Lees-Galloway request email]  

                        Authorised by Hon Iain Lees-Galloway, Wellington

 

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Good Afternoon

 

I refer to your official information request dated 2 June 2020, for the
following information:

 

….about how INZ allocates the non-prioritised Skilled Migrant
Applications.

 

[1]https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us...

 

Referring to the link above, "Applications that don’t meet either
criterion for prioritisation are allocated to an immigration officer in
the order they are received", but I have known a number of cases where the
applications lodged later are allocated to Case Officer before those
lodged earlier? Specifically, some cases lodged in Mar 2019 get allocated
around Sep 2019, and some lodged in Nov 2019 get allocated in early 2020,
etc. They all don't match the priority criteria and have NO special
circumstances.

 

Could you please explain why INZ doesn't follow the order of lodgement in
some cases?

 

We are transferring your request to Immigration New Zealand at the
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as the information to
which your request relates to is not held by us but is believed to be held
by them.

 

In these circumstances, we are required by section 14 of the Official
Information Act to transfer your request.

 

You will hear further from Immigration New Zealand concerning your
request. 

 

Regards

 

[2]Crest Office Hon Iain Lees-Galloway

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

Minister of Immigration

Minister for ACC

Deputy Leader of the House | MP for Palmerston North

P: 64 (4) 817 8713 | E: [3][Iain Lees-Galloway request email]  

                        Authorised by Hon Iain Lees-Galloway, Wellington

 

From: I Lees-Galloway (MIN)
Sent: Tuesday, 2 June 2020 1:03 PM
To: '[FOI #12997 email]'
<[4][FOI #12997 email]>
Subject: OIA Ack | Junlong | 2 June 2020

 

Good Afternoon

 

We acknowledge receipt of your official information request which we
received today, for the following information;

    

 I would like to request information about how INZ allocates the
non-prioritised Skilled Migrant Applications.

 

[5]https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us...

 

Referring to the link above, "Applications that don’t meet either
criterion for prioritisation are allocated to an immigration officer in
the order they are received", but I have known a number of cases where the
applications lodged later are allocated to Case Officer before those
lodged earlier? Specifically, some cases lodged in Mar 2019 get allocated
around Sep 2019, and some lodged in Nov 2019 get allocated in early 2020,
etc. They all don't match the priority criteria and have NO special
circumstances.

 

Could you please explain why INZ doesn't follow the order of lodgement in
some cases?

 

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in
any event no later than 20 working days after the day your request was
received.

 

If we are unable to respond to your request within the appropriate
timeframe, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.  If your
OIA request requires full or part transfer, we will contact you within the
required timeframe.

 

Regards

 

[6]Crest Office Hon Iain Lees-Galloway

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

Minister of Immigration

Minister for ACC

Deputy Leader of the House | MP for Palmerston North

P: 64 (4) 817 8713 | E: [7][Iain Lees-Galloway request email]  

                        Authorised by Hon Iain Lees-Galloway, Wellington

 

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Dear Junlong

 

I have been allocated your OIA request to respond to. 

 

Firstly, I need to ensure that you are able to make such a request as per
Section 12 of the Official Information Act (OIA), i.e. you are a New
Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or in New Zealand.  I have pasted the
relevant section of the Act as well as the relevant web link at the bottom
of this email.

 

Action

I need you to provide confirmation that you meet this section of the OIA. 
Depending on your situation (as noted below) this can be in the form of:

·         NZ citizen or permanent resident - a copy of your passport (non
New Zealand passport holders include a copy of your residence visa); or

·         In New Zealand - evidence of your New Zealand residential
address (e.g. rental agreements, addressed mail, etc.) and a copy of your
passport.  

 

If you do not wish to provide this information via the fyi website, then
please email me directly at penny(dot)hazlett(at)mbie(dot)govt(dot)nz. 
Please remove the brackets and add in the symbols as I understand that the
FYI website blocks email addresses.  It would be appreciated if you could
provide this as soon as possible or by 5pm Wednesday 10 June 2020 (NZ
time).

 

 

Regards

 

Penny Hazlett

SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR, OPERATIONS SUPPORT

Border & Visa Operations, Immigration New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

 

[1][email address] |

Level 1, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington, New Zealand

 

 

Official Information Act -Section 12

 

[2]http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...

 

Requests for access to official information

 

12 Requests

 

(1) Any person, being—

 

(a) a New Zealand citizen; or

 

(b) a permanent resident of New Zealand; or

 

(c) a person who is in New Zealand; or

 

(d) a body corporate which is incorporated in New Zealand; or

 

(e) a body corporate which is incorporated outside New Zealand but which 
has a place of business in New Zealand,—

 

may request a department or Minister of the Crown or organisation to make
 available to him or it any specified official information.

 

[3]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
3. http://www.govt.nz/

Ref: 1920-1738

 

Dear Junlong,

 

On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 1 June 2020 requesting under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:

 

I would like to request information about how INZ allocates the
non-prioritised Skilled Migrant Applications.

 

[1]https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us...

 

Referring to the link above, "Applications that don’t meet either
criterion for prioritisation are allocated to an immigration officer in
the order they are received", but I have known a number of cases where the
applications lodged later are allocated to Case Officer before those
lodged earlier? Specifically, some cases lodged in Mar 2019 get allocated
around Sep 2019, and some lodged in Nov 2019 get allocated in early 2020,
etc. They all don't match the priority criteria and have NO special
circumstances.

 

Could you please explain why INZ doesn't follow the order of lodgement in
some cases?

 

Your request is being processed in accordance with the Act and a response
will be sent to you in due course.

 

Please note, due to ongoing COVID-19 response work, requests are currently
being triaged and those relating to Covid-19 processed as a priority.
Remaining requests are being assessed as per the Ombudsman’s guidance
(which can be found here:
[2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/news/chief-ombudsmans-statement-official-information-response-times-during-covid-19-emergency)
and processed accordingly.

 

If you have any enquiries regarding your request, or its urgency, feel
free to contact us via email at [3][email address].

 

Nâku noa, nâ

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

 

Corporate, Governance and Information

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Level 4, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140

NZBN 9429000106078

 

 

[4]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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References

Visible links
1. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us...
2. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/news/...
3. mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.govt.nz/

Dear Mr Wang

 

Please find attached the response to your request.

 

Regards

 

Penny Hazlett

SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR, OPERATIONS SUPPORT

Border & Visa Operations, Immigration New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

 

[1][email address] |

Level 1, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington, New Zealand

 

[2]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.govt.nz/

 

Thank you for your email.  I am currently out of the office  until Tuesday
14 July 2020.  I will reply to your email once I am back in the office.

 

I work from 9 to 3.30 each day.  I will reply to your email once I am back
in the office.

[1]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.govt.nz/

Dear Junlong,

As stated in the response, we cannot comment on individual cases.

Regards

Penny Hazlett
SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR, OPERATIONS SUPPORT
Border & Visa Operations, Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

[email address] |
Level 1, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington, New Zealand

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