Ref: 2021-0137

 

Dear Mounir,

 

On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 16 July 2020 requesting under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:

 

As per the last criterion published in INZ website and confirmed under
Ref: DOIA 1920-1738, the last information uptodate for the processing SMC
backlog is the following

 

"For those applicants who have submitted a skilled residence application
SMC) or RFW), priority is given to applicants in New Zealand and where
the:

 

• Application includes a job offer with and hourly rate equivalent to or
higher than twice the median wage (currently $51.00 per hour or an annual
salary of $106,080 or more); or • Application includes a job offer which
requires occupational registration where occupational registration is
required by immigration instructions.

Second Priority will be given to residence class visa applications where
the applicant is offshore."

 

1) It is unclear in the satement "applicants in New Zealand AND
where...."   if

- Onshore applications that are not meeting the threshold or registration
will be processed BEFORE any Offshore application,

- or at the same time in a non priority queue, or if Offshore applications
are processed before the Onshore non priority queue.

 

2) The information provided for the ongoing staffing and onhand SMC
backolg would allow that processing will be more or less 75%  non prority
queue and 25% for the priority queue.

Why is it that latest numbers and official stats seem to suggest that only
10 to 15% of the total applications processed are non priority queue?

 

3) Salary Threshold that should be met requires a job offer. A large
number of applicants are offshore (20% of total) and some don't have a job
offer. how do you apply the criteria for people who don't have a job
offer? and if these people are under a long term shortage skills for a job
that pays more than 106 K threshold (example; procurement manager, under
LTSSL, paid 130 k$/ year on average but no job offer)?

 

4) LTSSL jobs are those where New Zealand need skilled people in the long
term and where offers exceed the number of applicants, why isn't there any
criteria to prioritise those applications both offshore and onshore to
benefit New Zealand, as those people could be hired in other countries, or
don't have an issue fiding a job elsewhere

 

Your request is being processed in accordance with the Act and a response
will be sent to you in due course.

 

Please note, due to ongoing COVID-19 response work, requests are currently
being triaged and those relating to Covid-19 processed as a priority.
Remaining requests are being assessed as per the Ombudsman’s guidance
(which can be found here:
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/news/chief-ombudsmans-statement-official-information-response-times-during-covid-19-emergency)
and processed accordingly.

 

If you have any enquiries regarding your request, or its urgency, feel
free to contact us via email at [2][MBIE request email].

 

Nâku noa, nâ

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

 

Corporate, Governance and Information

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Level 4, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140

NZBN 9429000106078

 

[3]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/news/...
2. mailto:[MBIE request email]
3. http://www.govt.nz/

Dear Sir/Madam

 

I have been allocated your OIA request to respond to. 

 

Firstly, I need to ensure that you are able to make such a request as per
Section 12 of the Official Information Act (OIA), i.e. you are a New
Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or in New Zealand.  I have pasted the
relevant section of the Act as well as the relevant web link at the bottom
of this email.

 

Action

I need you to provide confirmation that you meet this section of the OIA. 
Depending on your situation (as noted below) this can be in the form of:

·         NZ citizen or permanent resident - a copy of your passport (non
New Zealand passport holders include a copy of your residence visa); or

·         In New Zealand - evidence of your New Zealand residential
address (e.g. rental agreements, addressed mail, etc.) and a copy of your
passport.  

 

If you do not wish to provide this information via the fyi website, then
please email me directly at penny(dot)hazlett(at)mbie(dot)govt(dot)nz. 
Please remove the brackets and add in the symbols as I understand that the
FYI website blocks email addresses.  It would be appreciated if you could
provide this as soon as possible or by 12pm Wednesday 22 July 2020 (NZ
time).

 

 

Regards

 

Penny Hazlett

SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR, OPERATIONS SUPPORT

Border & Visa Operations, Immigration New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

 

[1][email address] |

Level 1, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington, New Zealand

 

 

Official Information Act -Section 12

 

[2]http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...

 

Requests for access to official information

 

12 Requests

 

(1) Any person, being—

 

(a) a New Zealand citizen; or

 

(b) a permanent resident of New Zealand; or

 

(c) a person who is in New Zealand; or

 

(d) a body corporate which is incorporated in New Zealand; or

 

(e) a body corporate which is incorporated outside New Zealand but which 
has a place of business in New Zealand,—

 

may request a department or Minister of the Crown or organisation to make
 available to him or it any specified official information.

 

[3]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/publi...
3. http://www.govt.nz/