9 August 2021
45 Pipitea Street, Wel ington 6011
Phone +64 4 495 7200
dia.govt.nz
Daniel
fyi-request-16027-
[email address]
Dear Daniel
Official Information Act 1982 request 2122-0033 – Citizenship processing timeframes
Thank you for your Official Information Act (Act) request received by the Department of Internal
Affairs (Department) on 12 July 2021.
You requested –
1. Can you please tel which month citizenship application are in processing?
2. Can you please tel until which month citizenship application applied are completed?
The Department has since clarified the second part of your request, and we understand that you
are seeking the following:
I am seeking information about the finished (approved the citizenship) citizenship
application (by grant) until which month for the year of 2020 or 2021?
For example - Citizenship department completed / finished (approved the citizenship) the
citizenship applications (by grant) til the month of January 2021 and Citizenship case
officers are working on citizenship applications (by grant) applied in the month of Feb
2021.
Question one
As at 1 August 2020, the majority of citizenship by grant applications the Department is
currently working on were received in late September to early October 2020. This is clarified in
Question two.
Question two
I can advise that most applications from prior to September 2020 have been completed.
However, it is important to explain that due to the variables involved in processing applications,
there are some earlier applications still in progress. These are typically applications waiting on
submission to the Minister or waiting on the customer to provide additional information.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
John Crawford-Smith
Acting Manager Operational Policy and Official Correspondence
Service Delivery and Operations
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