01 February 2021
Harpreet Singh Dhillon
[FYI request #14368 email]
Ref: DOIA 2021-1245
Dear Harpreet Singh Dhillon,
Thank you for your email of 25 December 2020 requesting under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
OIA), the following information:
“1. How many onshore SMC and Talent work visa applications are pending in backlog? Can
you please provide information about the number of application received each month?
2. How long it wil take to clear this backlog. Will it possible to clear it before November
2021?”
Our Response
Question 1: How many onshore SMC and Talent work visa applications are pending in backlog? Can
you please provide information about the number of application received each month?
Please see Table 1 below which provides the number of Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) applications in
the onshore non-priority queue as at 13 January 2021, that are awaiting decisions, broken down by the
month the application was accepted.
Table 1:
Month
Number of
Accepted
applications
Feb-19
1
Mar-19
1
Apr-19
3
May-19
2
Jul-19
358
Aug-19
635
Sep-19
618
Oct-19
647
Nov-19
695
Dec-19
709
Jan-20
557
Feb-20
905
Mar-20
773
May-20
76
Jun-20
1,278
Jul-20
492
Aug-20
80
Sep-20
194
1
Oct-20
64
Nov-20
67
Dec-20
39
Jan-21
19
Total
8,213
Please see Table 2 below which provides the number of onshore Talent Work Visa applications on hand
as at 13 January 2021, that are awaiting decisions, broken down by the month the application was
accepted.
Table 2:
Work to
Work to
Month
Residence, Residence,
Accepted
Talent
Talent (Arts,
(Accredited Culture &
Employer)
Sports)
Aug-20
1
0
Nov-20
1
0
Dec-20
139
2
Jan-20
55
0
Total
196
2
Question 2: How long it wil take to clear this backlog. Wil it possible to clear it before November
2021?
This part of your request is not considered a request for official information. However, I can advise that
while it is difficult to predict future processing times in the current environment New Zealand is in, it will
remain a priority for the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) offices to continue improving the visa
processing timeframes. These timeframes wil however always depend on the complexity of an
application.
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.
Average processing timeframes for specific visa categories can be found on our INZ website at
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/waiting-for-a-visa/how-long-it-takes-to-process-
your-visa-application
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
2
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