20 January 2021
Vishal Dhote
[FYI request #14190 email]
Ref: DOIA 2021-1054
Dear Vishal Dhote,
Thank you for your email of 23 November 2020 requesting under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
OIA), the following information:
“I am a NZ resident visa holder and looking to request the fol owing information’s: -
1. How long is the current visa processing time for Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (CPVV) under the
category – Partner of NZ resident Travel ing together to New Zealand?
2. How many applications have been lodged under CPVV and approval rates since this category of
visa started (Please provide data in monthly format)?
3. Date of oldest application in a queue under CPVV waiting for allocation for case officer?
4. Are there separate queues under CPVV for different categories of applications, like applicant
from visa waiver countries gets prioritized over an applicant from non-visa waiver countries?
5. Please provide a copy of instruction manual immigration officer fol ow to process CPVV
applications for Partner of NZ travel ing together to New Zealand.”
Our Response
Question 1: How long is the current visa processing time for Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (CPVV) under
the category – Partner of NZ resident Travel ing together to New Zealand?
The time taken to assess an application can vary considerably. This depends on the quality of the
supporting documents and whether we require further information or verification of the information
provided. We cannot confirm when an application will be decided. The immigration officer assessing the
application will provide updates as the application is assessed.
‘Partner of NZ resident travelling together to New Zealand’ is not a visa category but a criteria within the
Critical Purpose Visitor Visa category. The processing time is not held in a reportable format however we
are able to advise that in the period 1 October 2020 to 31 December 2020 Immigration New Zealand
(INZ) completed and decided a total of 5,569 Critical Purpose Visitor Visas.
Question 2: How many applications have been lodged under CPVV and approval rates since this
category of visa started (Please provide data in monthly format)?
Please refer to table 1 and 2 below.
Table 1: The number of Critical Purpose Visitor Visas that have been accepted for processing up to and
including 31 December 2020, broken down by accepted month:
1
Accepted
Number of
Month
applications
Apr-20
244
May-20
562
Jun-20
905
Jul-20
1,772
Aug-20
2,113
Sep-20
2,538
Oct-20
2,566
Nov-20
1,841
Dec-20
1,803
Table 2: The approval rate of Critical Purpose Visitor Visas that have been approved up to and including
31 December 2020, broken down by month approved:
Decision Month
Approval rate:
Apr-20
99%
May-20
98%
Jun-20
98%
Jul-20
95%
Aug-20
96%
Sep-20
97%
Oct-20
95%
Nov-20
92%
Dec-20
91%
Question 3: Date of oldest application in a queue under CPVV waiting for allocation for case officer?
As at 13 January 2021, the oldest on-hand Critical Purpose Visitor Visa that is waiting to be al ocated to
a case officer was accepted for processing on 01 December 2020.
Question 4: Are there separate queues under CPVV for different categories of applications, like
applicant from visa waiver countries gets prioritized over an applicant from non-visa waiver countries?
And;
Question 5: Please provide a copy of instruction manual immigration officer fol ow to process CPVV
applications for Partner of NZ travel ing together to New Zealand
INZ have two different queues for partnership applications that are split by those from visa waiver
countries and those from non-visa waiver countries. However, this is not to prioritise one over the other
but rather to ensure applications are processed in accordance to the relevant instructions.
Non-visa waiver partnership applications are assessed against the H5 COVID-19 Support Restricted
Temporary Entry immigration instructions. Visa Waiver Partnership applications are assessed against the
H6 COVID-19 Support Restricted Temporary Entry Instructions (relationship-based visitor visa for visa-
waiver partners of New Zealanders).
Immigration Officers have no discretion to grant an exception if they are not satisfied that the criteria in
H5 or H6 instructions have been met. These instructions can be found here:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/policy-and-law/how-the-immigration-system-
operates/immigration-instructions
2
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact Lautalie Leausa Vaa,
Senior Business Advisor, Operations Support, Immigration New Zealand at
[email address].
Yours sincerely,
Nicola Hogg
General Manager - Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
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Document Outline
