8 November 2023
Kirtika
[FYI request #24339 email]
DOIA 2324-0741
Tēnā koe Kirtika
Thank you for your email of 4 October 2023 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:
1. I would like to request information about what date of application has been allocated to
an immigration officer and what date they are currently processing for Partner of a New
Zealander Work Visa. The date your respond to this request can be taken as the exact date of
processing.
2. What is the current processing rate of this visa per week?
3. can you provide a table outlining how many applications for Partner of a New Zealander
Work Visa have you received from May 2023 to October 2023.
On 5 October 2023, we contacted you to clarify question two, as to whether you were requesting the
average number of decisions made per week for Partner of a New Zealander Work Visas and to provide
a date range. On 9 October 2023, you clarified that you were requesting the average number of
decisions made per week for Partner of a New Zealander Work Visas on a monthly basis.
On 10 October 2023, we asked you to further specify the date range you were requesting in relation
to question two. On the same day, you clarified that you were requesting the average number of
decisions made per week for Partner of a New Zealander Work Visas from May to 10 October 2023.
Our response
Question 1: I would like to request information about what date of application has been allocated to
an immigration officer and what date they are currently processing for Partner of a New Zealander
Work Visa. The date your respond to this request can be taken as the exact date of processing.
As at 27 October 2023, the most recent Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa allocated to an
immigration officer for assessment was submitted on 12 August 2023.
Question 2: What is the current processing rate of this visa per week?
Please refer to the table below for the weekly average number of decisions made for Partner of a New
Zealander Work Visa applications on a monthly basis between 1 May 2023 and 10 October 2023.
Please note the decision numbers include approved, declined and withdrawn applications.
Decided month
Average number of decisions per week
May 2023
275
June 2023
216
July 2023
195
August 2023
243
September 2023
250
October 2023
234
Question 3: can you provide a table outlining how many applications for Partner of a New Zealander
Work Visa have you received from May 2023 to October 2023.
Please refer to the table below for the number of Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa applications
received between May and October 2023, as at 17 October 2023.
Received month
Number of applications
May
1,367
June
1,292
July
1,283
August
1,466
September
1,372
October
805
Total
7,585
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the Ministry’s response
to your request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. 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 this response, please contac
t [email address]
Nāku noa, nā
Jock Gilray
Director Visa
Chief Operating Officer Immigration Branch
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment