24 March 2021

Maximilian Munker
[FYI request #14770 email]

Ref: DOIA 2021-1636

Dear Mr Munker
Thank you for your email of 25 February 2021 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA), the following information:
•  Could you please provide the latest numbers of how many SMC applications were assigned to Case
officers as wel  as approved for January and February?
•  Could you please also provide an overview how many SMC
•  How many NON-priority SMC applications were allocated to a case officer during January and
February 2021? How many priority SMC applications were  al ocated to a case officer  during
January and February 2021?
•  What is the lodgement time for the oldest SMC application in the backlog which is stil  waiting for
allocation to a case officer? Could you please provide a monthly overview of all open applications
in the queue?
•  What is the reason why the non-priority queue didn’t move the last 3 weeks?
•  After closing your offshore Visa centres in Mumbai, Manila, Pretoria and Beijing this year, what
are the plans for increasing the NZ based Immigration capabilities and how wil  this affect the
existing SMC backlog?
•  What directions did you get after Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi's announcement to review the
skilled migrant residency programme? Do you stil  work on applications or what is going to happen
with the existing applications?
On 8 March 2021 you were contacted by Penny Hazlett to clarify your request and on 9 March 2021
you confirmed your request as:
1.  Could you please provide the latest numbers of how many SMC applications were al ocated to Case
officers as wel  as approved for January and February?
2.  Could you please share an overview of how many SMC applications in the non-priority queue are
stil  not allocated to a case officer for every single month until March 2021.
3.  How many Non-priority SMC applications were allocated to a case officer during January and
February 2021?
4.  How many priority SMC applications were allocated to a case officer during January and February
2021?

5.  What is the lodgement time for the oldest SMC application in the non-priority queue which is still
waiting for allocation to a case officer? Could you please provide a monthly overview of all open
applications in the non-priority queue?
6.  What is the reason why the non-priority queue didn’t move the last 3 weeks?
7.  After closing your offshore Visa centres in Mumbai, Manila, Pretoria and Beijing this year, what
are the plans for increasing the NZ based Immigration capabilities and how wil  this affect the
existing SMC backlog?
8.  What directions did you get after Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi’s announcement of 25 February
2021 to review the skil ed migrant residency programme? Do you stil  work on applications or what
is going to happen with the existing applications?
I am writing to advise you that the Ministry wil  provide a response but needs to extend the time
available to answer your request. The Ministry’s response will be with you no later than 9 April 2021.
The reason for the extension relies on s15A(1)(b) of the OIA – consultations necessary to make a
decision on the request are such that a proper response to the request cannot be made within the
original time limit. I will respond to your request sooner if I am able to.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review of our decision to extend the time limit by the
Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz, free-phone 0800 802 602

Yours sincerely

Michael Carley
Manager, Operations Support – Border & Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

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