31 March 2020
Erin Zheng
[FYI request #12465 email]
File No: DOIA 1920 - 1420
Dear Erin Zheng
Thank you for your email of 17 March 2020, requesting the fol owing information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
1. What is the lodgement time for the oldest SMC application in the backlog which is stil waiting for
allocation to a case officer?
2. Does INZ start to allocate applications from the general queue (that do not meet the priority criteria)
after 24th Feb 2020? If so, what is the proportion for the NON-priority SMC applications of the total
applications which was allocated to a case officer during this month?
3.
Wil any priority applications submitted after 24 Feb 2020 wil be processed before all the other non
priority applications? Is there any plan for split case officers for two queues? For example let's say 75%
of COs wil processing for priority applications and the other 25% wil process non-priority applications.
If not how wil non-priority applications be processed as there wil always have new priority
applications?
Our response
1. What is the lodgement time for the oldest SMC application in the backlog which is stil waiting for
al ocation to a case officer?
As of 5 March 2020, the oldest unal ocated application in the Skil ed Migrant and Residence from Work queue
was accepted on 12 December 2018.
2. Does INZ start to al ocate applications from the general queue (that do not meet the priority criteria)
after 24th Feb 2020? If so, what is the proportion for the NON-priority SMC applications of the total
applications which was al ocated to a case officer during this month?
As at 5 March 2020, 9 applications have been al ocated from the general queue from the period of 25 February
to 4 March 2020.
3. Wil any priority applications submitted after 24 Feb 2020 wil be processed before al the other non
priority applications? Is there any plan for split case officers for two queues? For example let's say 75%
of COs wil processing for priority applications and the other 25% wil process non-priority applications.
If not how wil non-priority applications be processed as there wil always have new priority
applications?
The New Zealand Residence Program (NZRP) Planning Range sets the upper and lower number for residence
visa approvals. The last NZRP ran from 1 July 2018 until 31 December 20109 and included a Planning Range of
50,000 to 60,000 residence approvals.
Whilst the government is currently reviewing its approach to the NZRP, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) wil
continue to process applications at the same rate as the previous NZRP al owed for.
As at 24 February 2020, INZ changed the prioritisation criteria for Skil ed Migrant and Residence from Work
Category visa applications. Further information can be found here
: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-
us/media-centre/news-notifications/how-we-prioritise-resident-visa-applications/smc-and-rfw-prioritisation-
information-for-applicants.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact Ileini Taloa, Business Advisor,
Operations Support, Immigration New Zealand a
t [email address].
Yours sincerely
Nicola Hogg
General Manager
Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
