31 July 2024
Wendy Yang
[FYI request #27500 email]
DOIA 2425-0069
Tēnā koe Wendy,
Thank you for your email of 4 July 2024 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the fol owing:
Please provide the following information:
1. The latest organisational chart of Immigration New Zealand.
2. A list of visa categories processed by each visa processing office.
3. Specific details on which Immigration Manager's team within each branch is responsible for
which visa categories.
4. Contact details of all the staff listed in the organisational chart.
5. The SOP of the Border Team.
6. The SOP of the Health Team.
7. The responsibilities of each team, such as leadership team, office of the deputy secretary etc.
On 11 July 2024, we sent you an email to clarify what you meant by SOP for Border and Health team in
question 5 and 6 of your request, and whether you were after what those teams are responsible for. On
the same day you responded:
Yes, SOP means standard operating procedures. Please provide the information regarding both
teams' responsibilities as wel .
Our Response
Questions one to four
Please refer to Appendix One for the current Immigration New Zealand (INZ) organisation chart and
Appendix Two below for the list of visa categories processed by each visa processing office and which
team is responsible for which visa categories.
The MBIE email convention is
[email address].
Questions five and six
MBIE has decided to extend the period of time available to make a decision on questions five and six of
your request under section 15A of the Act, as the request necessitates a search through a large quantity
of information and further consultation is required to make a decision on your request.
As such, a proper response cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit. MBIE will notify
you of a decision on this part of your request no later than 23 August 2024.
Question seven
We have interpreted this question as requesting for responsibilities of each INZ branch.
Below is a summary of the responsibilities of each of the INZ branches.
Associate Deputy Secretary Immigration branc
h manage strategic relationships for INZ, ensuring that
key domestic and international relationships function effectively and INZ’s authorising environment is
maintained.
• Maintain INZ’s authorising environment
• Ensure INZ plays its part in the global immigration system
• Develop INZ’s Māori-Crown relationship to ensure that INZ meets its commitments under Te Tiriti
o Waitangi and work towards improving Māori capability across INZ
• Manage external requests for information
• Support the Minister of Immigration and Associate Ministers of Immigration.
Chief Operating Officer branch support frontline operations by providing information, insight, support
and direction across INZ in a coordinated way, supporting INZ’s frontline workforce to deliver quality
visa decisions quickly.
• Coordinate the planning, response, direction and support across Immigration New Zealand in an
efficient way to achieve INZ’s priority objectives
• Provide information and insight to people leaders and kaimahi (staff) to help them make the right
decisions
• Provide operations support and solutions for frontline Visa Operations kaimahi to enable visa
decision making.
Visa Operations branch provide visa services and make quality visa decisions. The Visa Operations
branch has 12 visa processing sites, further information on visa products processed on each site is
outlined in appendix two.
Customer branch make it easier for customers to use the immigration system and do the right thing.
The Customer branch is accountable for leading INZ towards customer centricity, which wil support a
more efficient and effective immigration system to relieve pressure on frontline kaimahi (staff).
• Conducts customer research to improve the design and implementation of immigration products
• Manages operational marketing and content for INZ customers
• Stakeholder engagement
Service Design and Implementation branch contributes to the Aotearoa NZ immigration system by
designing and delivering change that meets the needs of our people and our customers.
• Engages early in the policy development process to assess operational implications and provide
operational advice on implementation
• Uses a service design framework that takes us from an idea or concept, through design,
development, implementation and evaluation
• Support the identification and prioritisation of changes to our existing processes and systems, that
wil make the biggest contribution to our vision
Immigration Risk & Border branch facilitate migration by managing immigration risk at the earliest
opportunity. Keeping Aotearoa New Zealand safe by supporting quality immigration and visa decision
making through the identification, understanding and treatment of risk at the earliest opportunity.
• Support good immigration decision making and the movement of non-New Zealanders across New
Zealand's border
• Accountable for the risk process functions that require visas to progress – Identity, Health, Risk
and Verification – as well as for stakeholder relationship management of critical third-party
providers such as New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
• Ensure the safe, orderly and regular movement of people while preventing those who would cause
harm from entering New Zealand by managing risk at the earliest point, offshore where possible
• Focuses on the facilitation and protection of migrants as they progress through the visa application
process, cross the Aotearoa New Zealand border, and for any subsequent reapplication processes
• Focuses on the facilitation and protection of the immigration system and provide a clear picture of
impact based on our risk tolerances and settings.
Refugee and Migrant Services branch uphold New Zealand’s international humanitarian obligations and
commitments and work collaboratively across government, sectors and communities to welcome,
protect, and enable migrants and refugees to resettle and thrive in New Zealand. We also support Pacific
labour mobility initiatives and capacity building in the Pacific.
• Manage refugee quota programmes
• Make decisions relating to refugee and protection claims
• Support former refugees, migrants and their families to successfully settle, achieve their goals and
thrive in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Support Pacific labour mobility initiatives for Aotearoa New Zealand, and capacity building in the
Pacific.
Assurance branch is accountable for ensuring that INZ is being a good regulator. It is critical that we can
assure ourselves, MBIE, the Government and New Zealand that we are fulfilling our legal and regulatory
obligations, we are following our own rules and playing our part effectively in the immigration system
as a whole.
• ensures complaints from customers and statutory bodies are investigated and responded to in a
timely manner and that frontline and policy system changes or improvements are implemented
• provides leadership and direction to ensure that INZ has strong risk and assurance management in
place across all areas
• works closely with assurance advisors in sites (training and on-going support) to ensure assurance
activities are being consistently applied
• conducts regular quality assurance reporting on selected INZ visa decisions, along with advice and
training on how to improve
• ensures INZ and the immigration system have a fit-for-purpose governance framework that
supports robust decision making, creating the checks and balances to ensure a positive and stable
working environment, increasing staff retention and attracting new staff.
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 your request or this response, please contact
[email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Cherie Marshall
Business Support Manager
Chief Operating Officer Immigration Branch
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Appendix Two
Please refer to the table below for the visa categories processed by each visa processing office and
details of which Immigration Manager's team is responsible for which visa categories.
Visa operations site Visa products
Immigration manager Primary visa product
Henderson
• Visitor general
Wayne Nahi
Visitor general,
• Business visitors
Business visitors
• Group visitors
Stella Lee
Group visitors
(including ADS)
• Priority process
Pamela Rola
Visitor general,
Business visitors
Shella Chou-Lee
Visitor general,
Business visitors
Farah Hababa
Visitor general,
Business visitors
Michael Teoh
Visitor general,
Business visitors
Nikunj Vithalani
Group visitors
Tash Purcell
Visitor general,
Business visitors
William Wang
Priority process,
Visitor general,
Business visitors
Isam Sattar
Group visitors
Stella Liang
Visitor general,
Business visitors
National
• Receiving office for the Brenda Theart
ADEPT SO activities
Documentation
processing
Chris Fernandez
Temp lodgement
Office (NaDo)
network/lodgement of
temporary (temp) and Preeti Kaur
Temp lodgement
residence applications Sam Iosefo
Mailroom
• Working holiday (WHS) Cleo Zhang
Refunds
• APEC
• Parent/grandparent
Peter Saunders
WHS processing
• Visa general
Cynthia Aquio
Visitor general
• ADEPT Support officer Taofi La’avasa
APEC
activities
Shakuntala Lal
Visitor general
• Label transfers
(transferring of visas
Rowena Chopra
APEC lodgements
into new passports)
Dee Loelu
Partnership residence
lodgements
Peshala Malewwa
Skil ed residence lodgement
Thanthrige
Connor Murray
Parent and Ukraine
residence lodgements
Ayisha Samad
Label transfers
Penny Blackbourn
Label transfers and admin
Julia Davidson
Temp lodgement
Manukau 1
• Section 61
Angela O’Brien-Hug
AEWV+MCS
• Permanent resident
Janet Cho
AEWV
visa (PRV)
• Accredited employer Manhal Yaikoob
AEWV
worker visa (AEWV
Lava Noko-akifolau
AEWV & Visitor
including MC’s)
Shweta Divekar
AEWV
• Maximum continuous
stay work visa
Nan Zheng
PRV
extensions
Emma McFarland
Section 61
• Visitor
Daniel Morisa
AEWV
• Resident visa 2021 (RV Lima Lefau
PRV
2021)
Veronica Toniatti
Visitor
Rosita Chayutirat
PRV
Tegan Turia
PRV& RV21
Manukau 2
• Skilled residence (SMC) Alla Mankelow
New SMC
(skilled migrant
Sailesh Chand
Old SMC
category ( applications
under the old and new Kim O’Brien
New SMC
instructions), straight Linda Yuan
Support Team
to residence (STR),
Amelia Kim
Job Checks
sector and work to
residence (WTR))
Rita Wilson
Job checks
• Accredited employer Madusha
STR/WTR/Sector
Job checks
Kumaragamage
Jessie Zhao
STR
Paul Armishaw
STR
Are Venasio
Old SMC
Hamilton
• Residence partnership/ Alaina Vincent
Family violence,
dependent child
temporary/residence
• Family violence
partnership
• Temporary (temp)
Jody Litt
Family violence, Ukraine,
partnership
temp/residence partnership
• Ukraine/Afghanistan –
Afghanistan 57 cohort Julia Zhu
Afghanistan – Afghanistan
57, temp/residence
• Visitor general
partnership
Vanessa Robb
Temp/residence partnership
Linda Hansen
Visitor general,
temp/residence partnership
Ian Stoneham
Temp/residence partnership
Michelle Bird
Temp/residence partnership
Andrea George
Temp/residence partnership
Tracy Curran
Offshore
Carina Ryks
Temp/residence partnership
Rae Beattie
Temp/residence partnership
Rachel Birding
Support
Palmerston North • Student
Maria Wong
Lodgement
Jade Barr
Student
• Post-study -
Declan Forrest
PSWV
work (PSWV)
Chloe Wilson
Student
• Lodgement
Jeremy Smith
Student
Stephanie Harris
Student
Porirua
• Entrepreneur
Fiona Baxter
Parent Retirement Visas
Residence/Work
(residence and work)
• Active Investor Plus
Transfer and Invest
• Investor 1 & 2 –
(Investor)
Transfer and invest – David Song
Active Investor Plus
and removal of
conditions
Investor 1&2
• Humanitarian
Parent Retirement
• Work Visa Asylum
Jonathan Maitland
SAT
• Migrant Exploitation & Isobel Kerr
Work Visa Asylum
Protection
Refugee & Protection
• Refugee & Protection
Special work visa for victims
• Special work visa for
of people trafficking.
victims of people
trafficking
Caleb Van de Byl
Migrant Exploitation &
• Specialist Assessment
Protection
(SAT) ( assess
Andrew Lee
Student
temporary and
Tricia Kuriwara
Support
residence applications
that require further
Cleona Hughes
Student
assessment.
Juanita Tusani
Student
• Recognised Seasonal Talima Fruean
Recognised Seasonal
Employer
Employer
• Student
Tristin McCleary
Student
Christchurch 1
• Family parent
Emily Hanham
AIP fishing & Student
• Approve in Principle
Hannah McLean
Partner work visa
(AIP) fishing crew
• Work other (including Annie Gavigan
Visitor general & work other
specific purpose,
Muchtar Rawlings
Family Parent
variation of conditions, Marnie Walker
Family parent & partner
Entertainers)
work visa
• Partnership work visa Ernesto Baltar Carballo Work other
• Visitor General
• Student
Susan Koloto
Student
Taranpreet Singh
Work other, partnership
work and Student.
Mark Jenkins
Support team
Laura Halliday
Family parent
Emma Belcher
Work other
Vik Lagwal
Visitor general
Te Rewa Stewart
Partnership work
Williams
Christchurch 2
• Accredited employer Amanjeet Kaur Gil
Visitor
worker visa
Anamika Belwalkar
Visitor
Bridget McDowel
Visitor
• Employer Accreditation Courtney Savage
Visitor
(including revocation Sandrine Sunley
Visitor
and suspensions)
• Job Check
Chris Ollis
Visitor
• Work Visa
Nathan Taramai
ADEPT Ace
• Visitor general
Kane Smith
Job Check
• Student
Rachel Vine
Job Check
Ella Harris-Silva
Job Check
David Walker
Job Check
Fraser Graham
Job Check
Alex Mumford
Work Visa, Revocations &
Suspensions of Employer
Accreditation
Maryanna Brian
Employer Accreditation
Laura Eddy
Employer Accreditation
Pacific
• Residence partnership Sela Vaipulu Mafi
Visitor
• Visitor
Recognised seasonal
• Recognised seasonal
employer (RSE visas)
employer (RSE visas)
Pacific access category
• Pacific access category
residence (applications and
residence (applications
registrations)
and registrations)
Partnership, dep child (res)
• Transit
Transit
• Partner of worker
(work visa)
Partner of worker (work
visa)
• Student (Scholarship
only)
Student (Scholarship only)
• Samoan quota
Marvin Waqa
Partnership and dep child
residence (applications
(temp), visitor, Transit
and registrations)
Vera Mataitoga
RSE, PAC, Partnership, dep
• Dependent(dep) child
child (res) Student
residence
(Scholarship only), visitor,
• PRV
transits, support team
Irina Volkova
Visitor, Recognised Seasonal
Employer (RSE visas)
Samoan quota category
residence (applications and
registrations)
Partnership, dep child (res)
Transit
Partner of worker (work
visa)
Student (Scholarship only)
