29 January 2021
Petrus Konya Venter
[FYI request #14410 email]
Ref: DOIA 2021-1256
Dear Petrus Konya Venter,
Thank you for your email of 7 January 2021 requesting under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA),
the following information:
“I have been fol owing some of the online requests and have seen that the current EOI pool
numbers are wel into the thousands above 3000 if I am not mistaken as per the minister’s
last response to a request on re opening the EOI pool selection process that it would be
reviewed in March 2021. My request has three points.
1. If the minister meant during that response that the EOI pool wil be opened in March
2021 or only be decided when or if when it wil resume again?
2. Would the minister reconsider opening the EOI selection process earlier than March
2021 now that vaccines have approved internationally and have become available?
3. How many expressions of interest are currently in the EOI pool awaiting selection that
are onshore and meet the necessary 160 points mark?”
Our Response
Question 1: If the minister meant during that response that the EOI pool wil be opened in March 2021
or only be decided when or if when it wil resume again? And;
Question 2: Would the minister reconsider opening the EOI selection process earlier than March 2021
now that vaccines have approved internationally and have become available?
Part 1 and 2 of your request is not considered a request for official information however, I can advise
that in October 2020 the selection of Expressions of Interest (EOI) for residence under the Skilled
Migrant Category (SMC) and Parent Category was deferred for a further 6 months. The Government wil
review this decision in March 2021 and Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will continue to reassess when
EOI selections can take place as the COVID-19 situation develops.
The continued deferral of these EOI selections allows INZ to focus on processing applications from
people who are in New Zealand or those eligible to travel here while border restrictions are in place. The
best place to find updated information on the EOI selections is the INZ website which is being updated
regularly as decisions are made:
www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/covid-19.
Question 3: How many expressions of interest are currently in the EOI pool awaiting selection that are
onshore and meet the necessary 160 points mark?”
As at 11 January 2021, there were 5,000 EOIs in the SMC pool where the principle applicant is currently
onshore and has 160 points or more.
1
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
Document Outline
