Ranjit Singh
[FYI request #12391 email]
File No: DOIA 1920 – 1375
Dear Ranjit
Thank you for your email on 05 March 2020, requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
1. How many times a week or month SMC residence application allocation process takes place?
2. How many SMC residence applications from non-priority queue on average basis gets allocated to
an Immigration officer during each time allocation process takes place?
3. How many applications does INZ received between time period of 14/12/2018 to 01/06/2019.
4. How many SMC residence applications between time period of 14/12/2018 to 01/06/2019 are
waiting allocation to an immigration officer?
Our response
Question 1:
Allocation of Skilled Migrant Category Residence Applications to an Immigration Officer occurs
weekly.
Question 2:
There is no set number of non-priority applications that are allocated each week as it depends on
capacity but in general this is no less than 10% of total allocations.
Question 3:
Count of accepted
Type
Substream
applications
Resident
Skilled Migrant
5,026
Question 4:
I am not able to provide the information for question 4 therefore I am refusing this request under
Section 18 (f) because the information requested cannot be made available without substantial
collation.
Providing this information would remove Ministry staff from their core duties and therefore the
greater public interest in the effective and efficient administration of the public service would not
be served. I have considered whether the Ministry would be able to respond to your request given
extra time or the ability to charge for the information requested. I have concluded, in both cases,
the Ministry’s ability to undertake its work would still be prejudiced.
In order to provide the requested information, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) would need to
manually check each queue which would not accurately identify which application is awaiting
allocation. Your request is therefore refused under section 18(f) of the OIA, as the information
requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research.
I have considered whether the Ministry would be able to respond to your request given extra time
or the ability to charge for the information requested. I have concluded that, in both cases, the
Ministry’s ability to undertake its work would still be compromised.
I have also considered whether consulting with you would assist you to make the request in a form
that would remove the reason for the refusal, but in my view it would not.
You have the right to contest the decision to withhold information by seeking an investigation and
review of that decision by the Ombudsman. 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 Adam Jones,
Business Advisor, Operations Support, Immigration New Zealand at [email address].
Yours sincerely
Nicola Hogg
General Manager – Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
