27 January 2023
Hendrick
[FYI request #21127 email]
DOIA 2223-1020
Dear Hendrick
Thank you for your email of 15 November 2022 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
“Please provide a copy of the ADEPT User Guide, and any other relevant guides, SOPs, emails,
or documents in any form that a processing officer might be informed by when completing
any task in the ADEPT system.”
On 21 November 2022, we emailed you to narrow the scope of your request for the relevant Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs) and emails as we identified that the information requested cannot be
made available without substantial collation or research.
On 22 November 2022, you responded:
“The information I requested encompasses only the guidance specific to the ADEPT system
that a processing officer might rely on to complete a task in the system. If this information is
able to be rapidly read and learnt by each processing officer, I don't think it is reasonable to
argue that its collation would exceed the threshold of being 'substantial'.
The nature of the information requested - i.e. what is being relied on when completing tasks
relating to INZ's core role of issuing visas - is significantly in the public interest. On this basis I
believe there is a case for releasing the information even if its collation is judged to be
substantial.
Please bear in mind that time spent deciding whether to release information, and an
organisation's own administrative failings cannot be taken into account when determining
whether a request constitutes substantial collation. If the decision is made to refuse my
request under section 18(f), please provide details of alternate ways that the request could
have been fulfilled and the reason it was not fulfilled in that manner, as well as a copy of the
sample exercise undertaken - both of which should be done per Ombudsman guidance.”
Our Response
We have interpreted “processing officer” as immigration officers and other positions as outlined in
section A15.5 of the Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual.
Please refer to the table below outlining the documents in scope of your request. Some information has
been withheld under the following grounds which are noted in the documents itself:
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• section 9(2)(a) of the Act to protect the privacy of natural persons.
• section 6(c) of the Act to avoid prejudice to the maintenance of the law.
• section 6(b)(i) of the Act to avoid prejudice to the entrusting of information to the
Government of New Zealand on a basis of confidence by the Government of any other country
or any agency of such Government.
Documents
ADEPT Internal User Guide as at 27 October 2022
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2
ADEPT Workbook: Immigration Officers
-
Immigration Officers – Employer Accreditation and Job
Check
-
Immigration Officers (including Special Assessment
Team Immigration Officers)
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Visa Pak Items
-
ADEPT Changes
-
Raising Employer Alerts and Warnings in ADEPT
4
ADEPT Newsletter
5
Standard Operating Procedures
-
Low touch process for visitor visa applications triaged as
low-risk or medium-risk in ADEPT
-
Low touch processing for Visitor Visa (General) applications
in AMS that have been converted from Parent/Grandparent
visitor visas that were lodged in ADEPT
-
Low touch process for Parent/Grandparent visitor visa
applications triaged as low-risk or medium-risk in ADEPT
-
MRZ check process for ADEPT VV applications
-
Process to request quality check for ADEPT applications (VV)
Standard Operating Procedure
-
Processing visitor visas in ADEPT that include RIG
Assessment activities
-
Lapsing a visitor visa application in ADEPT
-
Character Waivers in ADEPT
-
FAQ Streamline low touch high-risk VV in ADEPT
-
Low touch process for Parent/Grandparent
-
Visitor visas in ADEPT Visitor Visa Policy training and
Introduction to processing in ADEPT
I hope you find this information useful. 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.
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If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please conta
ct [email address]
Yours sincerely
Nicola Hogg
General Manager – Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
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