FINAL OIA response Junlong.pdf

20 July 2020

Junlong
[FYI request #13078 email]

File No: DOIA 1920-1748

Dear Junlong

Thank you for your email of 11 June 2020, requesting the fol owing information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
I would like to request information about Skil ed Migrant Category visa application as below:

1.  How many case officers are assigned to process SMC visa application, and how many out of
them are assigned to look after the non-priority queue?

2.  As of the date this request is answered, how many applications waiting for allocation are
tagged as prioritised?

3.  I am aware that INZ started the priority criteria for SMC, so how many non-prioritised
applications get approved in each month since then until May 2020?

4.  As replied somewhere else, the allocation of priority queue is at Nov 2019, could you please
explain why I have heard quite a few applications got prioritised after Nov 2019 have been
allocated and approved already? How is Nov 2019 calculated as the result for those replies?

5.  Since Aug 2019, non-priority queue almost stays stil  until now, based on this pace, it wil
take decades to get the current applications on hand (around 30,000) approved, is there any
plan in discussion to mitigate this situation?

An email was sent to you on the 15 June 2020, requesting a timeframe for part three of your
request. You clarified your request to be the following:

•  Number of approved non-prioritised SMC applications in each month between Aug 2019 and
May or June (if available) 2020.

Our response
1.  How many case officers are assigned to process SMC visa application, and how many out of
them are assigned to look after the non-priority queue?

The skilled residence applications processed in the Manukau office are made up of Skilled Migrant
Category (SMC) and Residence from work (RFW) applications.  They are not split into two separate
queues based on application category.  Once an application is accepted for processing it is then
triaged into a priority or non-priority queue.
As at 4 June 2020, there are 72 immigration officers (IOs) who process all skilled residence
applications from both the priority and non-priority queues.
2.  As of the date this request is answered, how many applications waiting for allocation are
tagged as prioritised?

As at 2 July 2020, there are 445 SMC applications waiting for allocation that meet the prioritisation
criteria.
3.  Number of approved non-prioritised SMC applications in each month between Aug 2019 and
May or June (if available) 2020.
The priority rules only determine which applications are given priority to be allocated to an
immigration officer for processing. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) does not col ect data on the
number of priority or non- priority applications approved or declined beyond the point of al ocation.
Information on the number of approved non-priority applications is not held in reportable format.
3,928 Skilled Migrant Category applications were approved between August 2019 and June 2020.To
provide you with the number of non-prioritised SMC applications approved would require manually
checking each of the 3,928 applications. This part of your request is therefore refused under section
18(f) of the OIA as it would require substantial collation or research.
4.  As replied somewhere else, the al ocation of priority queue is at Nov 2019, could you please
explain why I have heard quite a few applications got prioritised after Nov 2019 have been
allocated and approved already? How is Nov 2019 calculated as the result for those replies?
The INZ website reflects the allocation processing time for applications currently in the priority and
non-priority queue.  November 2019 was the lodgement date for applications that INZ was allocating
from at the time. Note this date is updated regularly as we move through the queue. 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-timeframe-information.
A16.1 (f) of the INZ Operational Manual gives INZ the ability to prioritise some applications outside
of date order as individual circumstances warrant. Further information can be found here:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/amendment-circulars/amendment-circular-
2020_04.pdf. This may include applications referred by the Immigration Protection Tribunal (IPT) for
re-assessment, applications requiring reassignment due to staff movement, and those escalated
through the Employment Visa Escalation (EVE) process.

Applications prioritised as a result of A16.1 (f) can be from either queue mentioned above and
therefore are not reflected on the immigration website.
5.  Since Aug 2019, non-priority queue almost stays stil  until now, based on this pace, it wil
take decades to get the current applications on hand (around 30,000) approved, is there any
plan in discussion to mitigate this situation?

The New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP), which is set by the Government of the day, includes
a planning range for the number of residence applications approved each financial year.
Whilst INZ is doing everything possible to minimise visa processing delays, INZ can only process
applications at the same volume and with the same level of resourcing as the previous New Zealand
Residence Programme planning range allowed for. There are no discussions at the moment to vary
the current SMC and RFW allocation criteria.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information on about how to make 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 Ileini Taloa,
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