Ref: 2122-0017

Dear Caitlin,

On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 01 Juy 2021 requesting under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:

“I would like the following information regarding second person
checks/quality checks for Skilled Migrant Category Resident VISAs:

 

1. Are VISAs allocated to a queue for allocation to an immigration officer
for quality check or just given directly to officers for assessment
without going into any queue?

 

2. Are quality checks completed in the order they are received?

 

3. Why is there such a discrepancy in processing times for quality checks?
Some VISAs seem to go through a quality check within a day and others take
weeks.

 

4. What is the mandated processing time for a quality check?

 

5. What is the current average processing time for a quality check?

 

6. If a VISA application has gone for a quality check then is this
information provided on the VISA file of the applicant? And is the
Immigration call centre able to access this information?”

Your request is being processed in accordance with the Act and a response
will be sent to you in due course.

If you have any enquiries regarding your request, or its urgency, feel
free to contact us via email at [1][MBIE request email].

Nâku noa, nâ

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

Corporate, Governance and Information

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Level 4, 15 Stout Street, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140

NZBN 9429000106078

 

[2]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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mailto:[MBIE request email]
2. http://www.govt.nz/

Dear Caitlin,

In response to your official information request on 1 July 2021 relating
to the Skilled Migrant Category second person check/quality check process
(QC). Your email has many queries in regards to the general process as
opposed to an official request for information held by the Ministry, as
such we are responding as general correspondence providing with you
information on this process.

Once a recommended decision is made on an application by an Immigration
Officer (IO), the application is moved into a separate queue where it
awaits allocation to a senior staff member to undertake a QC.

These checks are generally completed in order in which they are received.
They are normally completed within 4 weeks but is dependent on a number of
factors including (but not limited to), the complexity of the application
category, the individual applicant’s circumstances, amount of
documentation submitted for review, the volume of work and capacity of
each senior staff member who conduct the QC. There is flexibility for a QC
to be prioritised where there are exceptional circumstances present. In
these cases, applications can be transferred directly to a senior staff
member for a QC.  

Immigration New Zealand measure average processing times in calendar days
from the time an application is accepted for processing, to when an
application has been finalised and completed in the Immigration
Application Management System. We are therefore unable to provide the
average time taken to complete a QC as this information is not held in a
reportable format.

Applicants are not automatically notified when their applications have
been moved to the 2pc stage. In some cases the IO will notify the
applicant that their application has moved to the QC stage, but do not
notify them of the recommended decision. At present applicants are able to
contact the Immigration Contact Centre for updates in regards the second
person check process in regards to their application.

I trust that this information has addressed your questions.

Kind regards

Adam Jones

Business Advisor

Border & Visa Operations - Immigration New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

NZBN 9429000106078

[1]http://thelink/how/PublishingImages/MBIE...

 

[2]www.govt.nz - your guide to finding and using New Zealand government
services

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References

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