29 March 2021
Ziyun (Evan) Wang
[FYI request #14813 email]
File No: DOIA 2021 – 1680
Dear Ziyun
Thank you for your email on 02 March 2021, requesting the fol owing information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
I am writing to kindly request copies of the most recent assessment templates and guidance notes for
Immigration Officers and National Managers to fol ow when considering humanitarian reasons for
granting visas to Other Critical Workers to travel to New Zealand.
Our response
’Other critical worker’ border exception category requests are not decided based on humanitarian
reasons. These requests are submitted by an employer who wishes to bring a critical worker or
workers to New Zealand. As such there are no template assessments or guidance notes for
humanitarian reasons relating to ‘other critical workers’.
As a result, your request for information has been refused under section 18 (e) of the OIA as the
information requested does not exist.
There is a humanitarian border exception category for individuals, who are not critical workers, to
come to New Zealand. If a submission is made to enter New Zealand under the humanitarian category
and is approved, an invitation to apply for a critical purpose visitor visa will be issued. If the applicant
then applies for a visa based on humanitarian reasons, they may be granted a critical purpose visitor
visa.
The attached appendix contains the guidance used by the Henderson office to assess expressions of
interest made under the humanitarian border exception category.
You have the right to contest the decision to withhold information by seeking an investigation and
review of that decision by the Ombudsman. Information about how to make a complaint is available
at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact Adam Jones, Business
Advisor, Operations Support, Immigration New Zealand at [email address].
Yours sincerely
Nicola Hogg
General Manager – Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
