1 March 2021
45 Pipitea Street, Wel ington 6011
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Email
[email address]
Kay
Websit
e dia.govt.nz
fyi-request-14576-
[email address]
Dear Kay
Official Information Act 1982 request 2021-0414 – Citizenship application timeframes
Thank you for your Official Information Act (Act) request received by the Department of
Internal Affairs (Department) on 29 January 2020.
You requested—
I am writing this to ask about the delays processing applications for citizenship by
grant. I’ve known many people who applied & approved within 3 weeks of time
but some other are stil waiting to be allocated to a case officer.
In response to your request I can provide you with the fol owing information.
Most applicants for citizenship by grant will be advised of the outcome from their
application within 7 to 12 months of submitting a correct and complete application. There is
no set standard processing timeframe for citizenship applications because every application
is different. For that reason, there is no ‘normal’ timeframe.
The timeframe quoted above covers the entire application process, which starts when an
applicant submits their application. The application then undergoes an assessment,
validation and a decision on the outcome is made. No two applications are the same, and
each can be delayed for a variety of reasons, and the Department is reliant on a number of
third-party agency checks before proceeding. The process is only complete when an
applicant receives their Citizenship certificate (or is advised that their application has not
been approved).
It is also important to note that the applications for citizenship by descent fol ow a different
process and have different timeframes. As these applicants are typically already entitled to
New Zealand citizenship, the role of the Department consists of verifying their entitlement
and registering their citizenship by descent, which is a much quicker process. Typically, it
takes up to 20 working days to process a correct and complete application for citizenship by
descent.
The Department is currently looking further into your concerns regarding potential
discrepancies in the timeframes for processing citizenship applications. We will advise you of
the outcome of this as soon as practicable.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Julia Taylor
Manager Operational Policy and Official Correspondence
Service Delivery and Operations
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