27 April 2021

Anatoliy Goryachev
By email: [FYI request #15006 email]

File No: DOIA 2021-1915
Dear Anatoliy Goryachev

Thank you for your email of 27 March 2021, requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
1) Please provide number of priority / non-priority (separately) SMC/RFW applications that
were lodged and currently waiting for case officer allocation for each month from August
2019 to April 2021;

2) Please provide the number of applications that were lodged and are stil  unallocated in the
priority / non-priority (separately) SMC/RFW queue for every single day between 01 August
2019 and 31 December 2019 (including 01 August 2021 and 31 December if any;

3) Could you please share the numbers on how many residence applications were allocated
to case officers (separately for priority and non-priority queue) for each of the weeks
commencing on 01 March 2021, 08 March 2021, 15 March 2021, 22 March 2021, 29 March
2021, 05 April 2021, 12 April 2021, 19 April 2021, 26 April 2021, etc. .;

4) Which lodgment date (non-priority, SMC/RFW queue) is INZ allocating at the time of the
reply? Why INZ has changed its policy on sharing the non-priority queue updates? We used
to get the latest allocation date from the MBIE INZ Senior Technical Advisor on a weekly basis
- but now they refuse to share this information and instead refer us to OIA requests. OIA
requests may take up to 28 working days - so we won't have access to the latest data and
will be forced to lodge OIA requests on a weekly basis which wil  increase workload of MBIE
business advisor. Could you please share any communication between MBIE INZ Senior
Technical Advisor and/or INZ management on this issue.

5) Please provide the latest lodgment date of the non-priority SMC/RFW application after
weekly allocation completed (what is the latest lodgment date of application allocated to
case officer) for each of the weeks commencing on 01 March 2021, 08 March 2021, 15
March 2021, 22 March 2021, 29 March 2021, 05 April 2021, 12 April 2021, 19 April 2021, 26
April 2021, etc...;

I am writing to advise you that the Ministry will 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 25 May 2021.

The reason for the extension relies on section 15A(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.

We wil respond to your request sooner if we are able.

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 or post to the fol owing
address:

The Ombudsman
Office of the Ombudsman
PO Box 10-152
WELLINGTON 6143

Yours sincerely

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

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