Citizenship processing timeframes
Paul made this Official Information request to Brooke van Velden
This request has an unknown status. We're waiting for Paul to read recent responses and update the status.
From: Paul
Dear Brooke van Velden,
As at 2 September 2024, the Citizenship Office within the Department of Internal Affairs is facing a backlog of over 20,000 unassigned Citizenship by Grant applications, dating back to July 2023. Additionally, thousands of applications are still being processed, dating back as far as April 2023.
This backlog and processing times of up to 18 months cause significant uncertainty, concern, and stress among tens of thousands of applicants. Given the unacceptable processing times for CbG applications, can you please address the following questions?
1. In light of many applicants' uncertainty and concern, can you please explicitly state your position of whether the current backlog and processing times are considered acceptable and in line with departmental performance targets?
2. Do you consider the current backlog and processing times to be an issue, and have you identified reducing both, or either, as priorities for the DIA?
3. Can you please clarify whether you have requested, or plan to request, that the DIA establishes a designated strategy or work programme to reduce the current backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications beyond the DIA's standard improvement goals?
4. Do you plan to allocate additional resources to the DIA dedicated to increasing processing capacities for CbG applications (e.g. additional FTE)?
5. Does your work programme over the next 6-12 months include steps towards the DIA reducing the backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications?
Please note that this request specifically seeks your rather than the DIA's responses to the listed questions.
Yours faithfully,
Paul
From: Brooke van Velden (MIN)
Brooke van Velden
Please note this is an automatically generated email.
Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon Brooke van Velden, MP for
Tâmaki, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister for Workplace Relations
and Safety.
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Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
MP for Tâmaki
Website: [2]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
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sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy
at [3]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
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From: Brooke van Velden (MIN)
Brooke van Velden
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your email in which you submitted an Official Information Act request below.
Minister van Velden is considering your request in accordance with the Act.
Ngâ mihi,
Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
MP for Tâmaki
Website: www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’ portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list: date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
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From: Brooke van Velden (MIN)
Brooke van Velden
Dear Paul,
On behalf of Hon Brooke van Velden thank you for your OIA request.
The information you have requested is more closely connected to the functions of the Department of Internal Affairs. Therefore, your request is being transferred to that department in accordance with section 14 (b)(ii) of the Act.
You can expect to hear from DIA directly in due course.
Kind regards,
Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
MP for Tâmaki
Website: www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’ portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list: date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
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From: Nick Williamson
Good morning Paul,
I have reviewed your correspondence and concluded the Department of
Internal Affairs requested transfer of your request incorrectly. Your
email doesn’t request official information so will not be processed as an
OIA. The Minister will draft a response to your questions, and this will
be sent to you as soon as practicable.
Apologies for the confusion.
Kind regards
Nick
Nick Williamson
Internal Affairs Private Secretary | Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations
MP for Tâmaki
Email: [1][email address] Website:
[2]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
[3]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
show quoted sections
From: Brooke van Velden (MIN)
Brooke van Velden
Dear Paul,
Please find attached on behalf of the Hon Brooke van Velden a letter in
response to your email of 29 September 2024 regarding your concerns with
the current citizenship by grant processing timeframes and the number of
applications yet to be allocated to Life Identity and Service Officers
(LISO) for processing,
Kind regards
Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
MP for Tāmaki
Website: [1]www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand
Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
[2]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
show quoted sections
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