29 April 2021
Kwanjira Chanthawas
[FYI request #14768 email]
Ref: DOIA 2021-1870
Dear Kwanjira Chanthawas,
Thank you for your email of 26 February 2021 requesting under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA),
the following information:
“Could you please clarify the message below;
‘ As of 09 March 2021, INZ is allocating:
• Non-prioritised SMC and RFW applications received in August 2019’
What is the specific date in August?”
On 22 April you further clarified that you would like to know the allocation date of the date that this request
has been replied.
Our Response
Please note there are consultation processes involved in obtaining data. There are also sign out processes
involved prior to the external release of any information under the OIA. This means we are unable to
provide data information as at the date the request is responded to.
As at 27 April 2021, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is allocating non prioritised Skilled Migrant Category
(SMC) and Resident from Work (RFW) applications received on 06 August 2019.
This is the date that all
information required for the acceptance of the application was actually received by INZ rather than the
date the data entry was completed.
Most data used in OIA responses is pulled directly from the INZ Application Management System (AMS),
and reflects the date that the data entry relating to the application was completed in AMS. On occasion an
application is received by INZ on one date, but the data entry is not complete until a later date. In the
interest of fairness, when allocating applications the Manukau office use the date that all information
required for the acceptance of the application was actually received by INZ rather than the date the data
entry was completed – which reflects when a client will perceive their application to have been submitted.
This means that there may be differences noted in the allocation data, which is sourced directly from the
Manukau office, when compared with other statistics about skilled residence, including number and dates
of applications in the queues.
It is important to note that skilled residence queue data is not static due to the complex nature of visa
processing operations. Applications move between queues and this needs to be taken into account when
comparing data over time. The data changes over time for reasons such as, but not limited to:
Applicants arriving into New Zealand on critical purpose visas result in their applications moving
from the offshore queue to one of the onshore queues;
A change in an applicant’s circumstances resulting in their application meeting the priority criteria
and being moved to the priority queue;
1
Applications being escalated via the Employment Visa Escalation (EVE) process -
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/newsletters/korero/korero-july-
2019/employment-visa-escalations-eve;
Applications selected to be used in training new Immigration Officers.
Any updates in regards to the allocation of applications can be found via the following link:
www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/news-notifications/how-we-prioritise-resident-visa-
applications/smc-and-rfw-timeframe-information
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
