29 April 2021
45 Pipitea Street, Wel ington 6011
Phone +64 4 495 7200
dia.govt.nz
Kay
fyi-request-14576-
[email address]
Dear Kay
Official Information Act 1982 request 2021-0554 – Citizenship application timeframes
Thank you for your Official Information Act (Act) request received by the Department of Internal
Affairs (Department) on 27 March 2021.
You requested –
Please tel me if you are marking applications to be allocated to case officer?
In your email request you also raised concerns regarding the information provided to you by the
Department’s Contact Centre. In response to your request, and those concerns, I can provide
you with the fol owing information.
It is important to reiterate the Department’s response provided to you for OIA 2021-0453; that
the citizenship application processing timeframes you have referred to are indicative only. There
is no set standard processing timeframe for citizenship application because every application is
different. For that reason, there is no ‘normal’ timeframe.
The processing timeframe covers the entire application process, which starts when an applicant
submits their application. Once an application is received it then waits to be al ocated to a case
officer, and these ‘waiting to be allocated’ applications are processed in order of when the
payment was received.
When the application is allocated to a case officer, it then undergoes an assessment, validation
and a decision on the outcome is made. Most applicants wil be advised of the outcome from
their application within 7 to 12 months of submitting a correct and complete application.
After an application has been approved, it normally takes between 2 to 5 months for an
applicant to be allocated to a ceremony in their area of residence. This wait time is dependent
on where the applicant lives and the schedule of their local council.
Only when an applicant receives their Citizenship certificate (or confirmation that their
application has not been approved) is the process complete. This additional wait time of the
ceremony and arrival of their Citizenship certificate can bring the entire timeframe for the
process up to 17 months, which is what was indicated to you by the Contact Centre.
I have looked further into the concerns raised in your request OIA 2021-0453, regarding
potential discrepancies in processing timeframes for citizenship applications. I have identified
that the application type can have a significant impact on the length of time it may take to
process that application. This is because applications that are not standard applications can be
processed faster, i.e. an application where a person who is already a Citizen by Descent is
upgrading to Citizenship by Grant.
Re-apply applications are another example of this. These are applications where the applicant
has applied before but withdrew their application, i.e. they did not meet presence
requirements. Because certain parts of the application do not need to be processed again, this
can significantly reduce the processing time of the re-apply application.
It is important to note that the Department uses a randomised model of allocating applications
to case officers. Each case officer follows a standardised policy to process applications which
ensures that each application is managed appropriately and fairly.
The Department is committed to providing al of its customers with accurate and consistent
information regarding the services they access, and if you have any remaining concerns
regarding the service you have received I encourage you to contact the Official Correspondence
team directly at [email address]. If you provide them with your full
name and contact details, they can assist you further.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Nicola Potter
Manager Operational Policy and Official Correspondence
Service Delivery and Operations
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