2021 1915 DOIA response letter.pdf

25 May 2021
Anatoliy Goryachev
By email: [FYI request #15006 email]

File No: DOIA 2021-1915
Dear Anatoliy Goryachev

Thank you for your email of 27 March 2021, requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
1) Please provide number of priority / non-priority (separately) SMC/RFW applications that
were lodged and currently waiting for case officer allocation for each month from August
2019 to April 2021;

2) Please provide the number of applications that were lodged and are stil unallocated in the
priority / non-priority (separately) SMC/RFW queue for every single day between 01 August
2019 and 31 December 2019 (including 01 August 2021 and 31 December if any;

3) Could you please share the numbers on how many residence applications were allocated
to case officers (separately for priority and non-priority queue) for each of the weeks
commencing on 01 March 2021, 08 March 2021, 15 March 2021, 22 March 2021, 29 March
2021, 05 April 2021, 12 April 2021, 19 April 2021, 26 April 2021, etc. .;

4) Which lodgment date (non-priority, SMC/RFW queue) is INZ allocating at the time of the
reply? Why INZ has changed its policy on sharing the non-priority queue updates? We used
to get the latest allocation date from the MBIE INZ Senior Technical Advisor on a weekly basis
- but now they refuse to share this information and instead refer us to OIA requests. OIA
requests may take up to 28 working days - so we won't have access to the latest data and
will be forced to lodge OIA requests on a weekly basis which wil increase workload of MBIE
business advisor. Could you please share any communication between MBIE INZ Senior
Technical Advisor and/or INZ management on this issue.

5) Please provide the latest lodgment date of the non-priority SMC/RFW application after
weekly allocation completed (what is the latest lodgment date of application allocated to
case officer) for each of the weeks commencing on 01 March 2021, 08 March 2021, 15
March 2021, 22 March 2021, 29 March 2021, 05 April 2021, 12 April 2021, 19 April 2021, 26
April 2021, etc...;

Our response
1) Please provide number of priority / non-priority (separately) SMC/RFW applications that were
lodged and currently waiting for case officer allocation for each month from August 2019 to April
2021;
Please refer to Table One and Table Two attached. We have withheld application counts of 5 or
fewer under section 9(2)(a) of the OIA in order to protect the privacy of natural persons.

Skil ed residence queue data is not static due to the complex nature of visa processing operations.
Applications move between queues and this needs to be taken into account when comparing data
over time. The data changes over time for reasons such as but not limited to:
•    Applicants arriving into New Zealand on critical purpose visas result in their applications
moving from the offshore queue to one of the onshore queues;
•    A change in an applicant’s circumstances resulting in their application meeting the priority
criteria and being moved to the priority queue;
•    Applications being escalated via the Employment Visa Escalation (EVE) process -
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/newsletters/korero/korero-july-
2019/employment-visa-escalations-eve;

Most data used in OIA responses is pulled directly from the INZ Application Management System
(AMS), and reflects the date that the data entry relating to the application was completed in AMS. On
occasion an application is received by INZ on one date, but the data entry is not completed until a
later date. In the interest of fairness, when allocating applications the Manukau office use the date
that all information required for the acceptance of the application was actually received by INZ rather
than the date the data entry was completed –  which reflects when a client will perceive their
application to have been submitted. This means that there may be differences noted in the allocation
data, which is sourced directly from the Manukau office, when compared with other statistics about
skil ed residence, including number and dates of applications in the queues.

Any updates in regards to the allocation of applications can be found via the following link:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/waiting-for-a-visa/how-long-it-takes-to-
process-your-visa-application

2) Please provide the number of applications that were lodged and are stil  unallocated in the priority
/ non-priority (separately) SMC/RFW queue for every single day between 01 August 2019 and 31
December 2019 (including 01 August 2021 and 31 December if any;
Please refer to Table Three attached. We have withheld application counts of 5 or fewer under
section 9(2)(a) of the OIA in order to protect the privacy of natural persons.

3) Could you please share the numbers on how many residence applications were allocated to case
officers (separately for priority and non-priority queue) for each of the weeks commencing on 01
March 2021, 08 March 2021, 15 March 2021, 22 March 2021, 29 March 2021, 05 April 2021, 12 April
2021, 19 April 2021, 26 April 2021, etc. .;
Please refer to Table Four attached.

4) Which lodgment date (non-priority, SMC/RFW queue) is INZ allocating at the time of the reply?
Why INZ has changed its policy on sharing the non-priority queue updates? We used to get the latest
allocation date from the MBIE INZ Senior Technical Advisor on a weekly basis - but now they refuse to
share this information and instead refer us to OIA requests. OIA requests may take up to 28 working
days - so we won't have access to the latest data and wil be forced to lodge OIA requests on a
weekly basis which wil increase workload of MBIE business advisor. Could you please share any
communication between MBIE INZ Senior Technical Advisor and/or INZ management on this issue.
As at 24 May 2021, the oldest application in the skilled residence onshore non-priority queue is 30
August 2019. This is the date that all information required for the acceptance of the application was
actual y received by INZ rather than the date the data entry was completed.
The other parts of this question were answered by Business Advisor, Anna McLachlan in an email to
you dated 27 April 2021.

5) Please provide the latest lodgment date of the non-priority SMC/RFW application after weekly
allocation completed (what is the latest lodgment date of application allocated to case officer) for
each of the weeks commencing on 01 March 2021, 08 March 2021, 15 March 2021, 22 March 2021,
29 March 2021, 05 April 2021, 12 April 2021, 19 April 2021, 26 April 2021, etc. .;
Please refer to Table Five attached.

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.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact Anna McLachlan,
Business Advisor, Operations Support, Immigration New Zealand at [email address].

Yours sincerely

ppa
Nicola Hogg
General Manager
Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Table One
The number of skilled residence (Skilled Migrant Category and Residence from Work) applications in
the onshore non-priority queue that were accepted from 1 August 2019 to 30 April 2021 (inclusive)
broken down by accepted month as at 4 May 2021.
Month accepted
Non-priority
August 2019
186
September 2019
577
October 2019
622
November 2019
718
December 2019
750
January 2020
568
February 2020
927
March 2020
938
May 2020
88
June 2020
1,539
July 2020
1,091
August 2020
198
September 2020
697
October 2020
386
November 2020
421
December 2020
260
January 2021
378
February 2021
184
March 2021
366
April 2021
520
Total
11,414

Table Two
The number of skil ed residence (Skilled Migrant Category and Residence from Work) visa
applications in the onshore priority queue that were accepted from 1 Aug 2019 to 30 April 2021
(inclusive) broken down by accepted month as at 17 May 2021.
You will note there are some priority applications
Month accepted
Priority
accepted several months ago. This is because as
applicants’ circumstances change, some non-
August 2019
0  priority applications may meet the prioritisation
September 2019
<=5  criteria (current occupational registration where
October 2019
0  registration is required by immigration
November 2019
<=5  instructions or an hourly rate at or above twice the
median wage). Such applications are moved to the
December 2019
<=5  priority queue and allocated within two weeks.
January 2020
0

February 2020
0

March 2020
<=5

May 2020
0

June 2020
<=5

July 2020
0

August 2020
0

September 2020
0

October 2020
<=5

November 2020
0

December 2020
<=5

January 2021
0

February 2021
<=5

March 2021
0

April 2021
<=5

Total
12

Table Three
The number of skilled residence (Skilled Migrant Category and Residence from Work) visa
applications in the onshore/offshore priority and non-priority queues that were accepted from 1
August 2019 to 31 December 2019 (inclusive) broken down by day date, as at 17 May 2021
Day accepted
Offshore Non Priority Onshore Non Priority
applications
applications
Priority applications
1 August 2019
6
0
0
2 August 2019
<=5
0
0
6 August 2019
8
0
0
7 August 2019
<=5
0
0
8 August 2019
6
0
0
9 August 2019
<=5
0
0
10 August 2019
7
0
0
12 August 2019
<=5
0
0
13 August 2019
<=5
0
0
14 August 2019
<=5
0
0
15 August 2019
<=5
0
0
16 August 2019
6
0
0
19 August 2019
<=5
0
0
20 August 2019
<=5
0
0
21 August 2019
<=5
0
0
22 August 2019
<=5
0
0
23 August 2019
<=5
0
0
24 August 2019
<=5
<=5
0
26 August 2019
<=5
<=5
0
27 August 2019
<=5
<=5
0
28 August 2019
<=5
7
0
29 August 2019
<=5
<=5
0

30 August 2019
<=5
8
0
2 September 2019  <=5
15
0
3 September 2019  <=5
14
0
4 September 2019  8
13
0
5 September 2019  6
21
0
6 September 2019  <=5
24
0
7 September 2019  8
42
0
9 September 2019  <=5
22
0
10 September 2019  0
<=5
0
11 September 2019  <=5
24
0
12 September 2019  <=5
33
0
13 September 2019  <=5
0
0
16 September 2019  <=5
24
0
17 September 2019  <=5
36
0
18 September 2019  <=5
29
0
19 September 2019  <=5
16
0
20 September 2019  <=5
21
0
21 September 2019  <=5
41
0
23 September 2019  <=5
28
0
24 September 2019  <=5
20
<=5
25 September 2019  <=5
29
0
26 September 2019  <=5
36
<=5
27 September 2019  <=5
22
0
28 September 2019  <=5
25
0
30 September 2019  <=5
24
0
1 October 2019
<=5
29
0
2 October 2019
0
25
0
3 October 2019
<=5
21
0
4 October 2019
<=5
21
0
5 October 2019
0
33
0
7 October 2019
<=5
22
0
8 October 2019
7
22
0
9 October 2019
<=5
29
0
10 October 2019
6
35
0
11 October 2019
<=5
28
0
14 October 2019
<=5
26
0
15 October 2019
<=5
21
0
16 October 2019
<=5
27
0
17 October 2019
<=5
33
0
18 October 2019
<=5
<=5
0
19 October 2019
<=5
41
0
21 October 2019
<=5
19
0
22 October 2019
7
26
0
23 October 2019
<=5
11
0
24 October 2019
<=5
30
0
25 October 2019
<=5
17
0
29 October 2019
<=5
30
0

30 October 2019
<=5
42
0
31 October 2019
6
35
0
1 November 2019
6
24
0
4 November 2019
<=5
37
0
5 November 2019
6
28
0
6 November 2019
<=5
28
0
7 November 2019
<=5
34
0
8 November 2019
<=5
40
0
11 November 2019  7
38
<=5
12 November 2019  <=5
44
0
13 November 2019  6
32
0
14 November 2019  6
40
0
15 November 2019  <=5
39
0
18 November 2019  <=5
42
0
19 November 2019  <=5
33
0
20 November 2019  <=5
37
0
21 November 2019  7
37
0
22 November 2019  6
29
0
25 November 2019  <=5
27
0
26 November 2019  .
21
0
27 November 2019  <=5
37
0
28 November 2019  <=5
51
0
29 November 2019  <=5
22
0
2 December 2019
9
42
<=5
3 December 2019
<=5
56
0
4 December 2019
<=5
28
0
5 December 2019
<=5
49
0
6 December 2019
7
41
0
7 December 2019
<=5
44
0
9 December 2019
<=5
46
0
10 December 2019  <=5
40
0
11 December 2019  8
28
0
12 December 2019  <=5
37
0
13 December 2019  <=5
44
0
14 December 2019  <=5
46
0
16 December 2019  <=5
36
0
17 December 2019  <=5
36
0
18 December 2019  8
32
0
19 December 2019  <=5
37
0
20 December 2019  <=5
38
0
23 December 2019  <=5
31
0
24 December 2019  <=5
24
0
27 December 2019  0
<=5
0
30 December 2019  0
9
0
31 December 2019  0
<=5
0

link to page 8 Table Four
Allocation information relating to skilled residence (Skilled Migrant Category and Residence from
Work) applications
Number of Priority
Number of Non-
Applications
al ocated via the
Week commencing
skil ed residence
priority skil ed
applications
residence applications employment visa
al ocated
al ocated
escalation (EVE)
process1
1 March 2021
35
30
1
8 March 2021
52
0
0
15 March 2021
73
49
0
22 March 2021
16
118
0
29 March 2021
26
80
2
5 April 2021
47
20
0
12 April 2021
37
31
1
19 April 2021
79
4
0
26 April 2021
45
39
3
3 May 2021
41
46
0

Table Five
Accepted dates of the last applications allocated from the non-priority skil ed residence queue,
broken down by week. You will note that the information is not available for every week. This is
because the data is recorded manually. If the information is not captured at the time the allocations
were being made, there is no way for us to capture it retrospectively.
Week commencing
Date of last application al ocated from the non-priority
queue
1 March 2021
26 July 2019
8 March 2021
Not recorded
15 March 2021
Not recorded
22 March 2021
29 July 2019
29 March 2021
1 August 2019
5 April 2021
Not recorded
12 April 2021
8 August 2019
19 April 2021
Not recorded
26 April 2021
19 August 2019
3 May 2021
Not recorded
10 May 2021
22 August 2019

1
Employment Visa Escalation is a process to respond to escalation requests for urgent allocation for
employment related visas (and associated family members) for both Temporary Work Visas and Skil ed
Resident Visas. For more information see the INZ website here: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-
us/media-centre/newsletters/korero/korero-july-2019/employment-visa-escalations-eve