2122 0096 DOIA response letter.pdf

6 August 2021
Jill Liu
By email: [FYI request #16039 email]
File No: DOIA 2122-0096
Dear Jill Liu
Thank you for your email of 12 July 2021, requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
1. I would like to request the number of onshore skil ed residence visa applications accepted by
Immigration New Zealand on or before 31 January 2020 that are yet to be allocated to case
officers at the date you respond to this request, broken down by date the applications was
accepted and broken down by queue type (e.g. priority/non priority).
2. I would also like to request the number of skil ed residence applications that were allocated
each week to case officers from 1 Jul 2021 to the date you respond to this request, broken
down by priority status (priority/non-priority); and the accepted date of the oldest
application left in the queue each week.
Our response
1. I would like to request the number of onshore skil ed residence visa applications accepted by
Immigration New Zealand on or before 31 January 2020 that are yet to be allocated to case officers
at the date you respond to this request, broken down by date the applications was accepted and
broken down by queue type (e.g. priority/non priority).
Please see Table One attached for the number of skilled residence (Skilled Migrant Category and
Residence from Work) applications accepted on or before 31 January 2020, awaiting assessment, as
at 26 July 2021, broken down by queue and accepted date.
We are withholding application counts of 5 or fewer under section 9(2)(a) in order to protect the
privacy of natural persons.
It is important to note that skil ed residence queue data is not static due to the complex nature of visa
processing operations. Applications move between queues and this needs to be taken into account
when comparing data over time. The data changes over time for reasons such as, but not limited to:
• Applicants arriving into New Zealand on critical purpose visas which results in their
applications moving from the offshore queue to one of the onshore queues;
• A change in an applicant’s circumstances resulting in their application meeting the priority
criteria and being moved to the priority queue;

• Applications being escalated via the Employment Visa Escalation (EVE) process -
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/newsletters/korero/korero-july-
2019/employment-visa-escalations-eve;
• The lodgment of an application may take several days or weeks, depending on the
completeness of the application. Applications are back-dated once lodgment requirements
are completed which can cause fluctuations in the number of applications accepted in a
particular month.
In previous OIA responses, accepted date data reflected the date that the data entry relating to the
application was completed in AMS. On occasion an application is received by INZ on one date, but the
data entry is not completed until a later date. In the interest of fairness, when allocating applications
the Manukau office use the date that all information required for the acceptance of the application
was actually received by INZ rather than the date the data entry was completed – which reflects when
a client wil perceive their application to have been accepted. This means that there may have been
differences noted in the allocation data, which is sourced directly from the Manukau office, and other
statistics about skil ed residence, including number and dates of applications in the queues.
We recognised the potential for this to be confusing, so in this response and in the information now
published on our website, when we refer to the accepted date we are referring to the date that all
information required for the acceptance of the application was actually received by INZ rather than
the date the data entry was completed.
2. I would also like to request the number of skil ed residence applications that were allocated each
week to case officers from 1 Jul 2021 to the date you respond to this request, broken down by priority
status (priority/non-priority); and the accepted date of the oldest application left in the queue each
week.
The number of skilled residence applications that were allocated each week to case officers from 1 Jul
2021 to present, broken down by queue is now available on the Immigration New Zealand website:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/other-resources/skilled-residence-applications-
onshore-general-queue.pdf.
This information will be updated fortnightly.
Please refer to Table Two attached for the accepted dates of the oldest application in the non-priority
skil ed residence queue, each week from 1 July 2021 to 4 August 2021.
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.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact Anna McLachlan, Senior
Business Advisor, Operations Support, INZ at [email address].
Yours sincerely
Nicola Hogg
General Manager - Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Table One – The number of skilled residence (Skilled Migrant Category and Residence from Work)
applications accepted on or before 31 January 2020, awaiting assessment, as at 26 July 2021, broken
down by queue and accepted date.
Date accepted Offshore queue
Onshore general queue
(non-priority)
Onshore priority queue
14-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
17-Dec-18
7
0
0
18-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
19-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
20-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
21-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
24-Dec-18
10
0
0
27-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
28-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
31-Dec-18
<=5
0
0
3-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
4-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
7-Jan-19
8
0
0
8-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
9-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
10-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
11-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
13-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
14-Jan-19
7
0
0
15-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
16-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
17-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
18-Jan-19
6
0
0
21-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
23-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
24-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
25-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
29-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
30-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
31-Jan-19
<=5
0
0
1-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
4-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
5-Feb-19
8
0
0
7-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
8-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
11-Feb-19
7
0
0
12-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
13-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
14-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
15-Feb-19
<=5
0
0

18-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
19-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
20-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
21-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
22-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
25-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
26-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
27-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
28-Feb-19
<=5
0
0
1-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
4-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
5-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
6-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
7-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
8-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
11-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
13-Mar-19
7
0
0
14-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
15-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
18-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
19-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
20-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
21-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
22-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
25-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
26-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
27-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
28-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
29-Mar-19
<=5
0
0
1-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
2-Apr-19
6
0
0
3-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
4-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
5-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
8-Apr-19
7
0
0
9-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
10-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
11-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
12-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
15-Apr-19
6
0
0
16-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
17-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
18-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
23-Apr-19
11
0
0
24-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
26-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
29-Apr-19
7
0
0

30-Apr-19
<=5
0
0
1-May-19
<=5
0
0
2-May-19
<=5
0
0
3-May-19
<=5
0
0
6-May-19
<=5
0
0
8-May-19
<=5
0
0
9-May-19
<=5
0
0
10-May-19
6
0
0
13-May-19
<=5
0
0
14-May-19
<=5
0
0
15-May-19
<=5
0
0
16-May-19
<=5
0
0
17-May-19
<=5
0
0
20-May-19
<=5
0
0
21-May-19
<=5
0
0
22-May-19
<=5
0
0
23-May-19
<=5
0
0
24-May-19
<=5
0
0
27-May-19
<=5
0
0
28-May-19
<=5
0
0
29-May-19
6
0
0
30-May-19
<=5
0
0
31-May-19
<=5
0
0
4-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
5-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
6-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
7-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
9-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
10-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
12-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
13-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
14-Jun-19
6
0
0
17-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
18-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
19-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
20-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
21-Jun-19
12
0
0
24-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
25-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
26-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
27-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
28-Jun-19
<=5
0
0
1-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
2-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
3-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
4-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
5-Jul-19
<=5
0
0

8-Jul-19
6
0
0
9-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
10-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
11-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
12-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
15-Jul-19
10
0
0
16-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
17-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
18-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
19-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
22-Jul-19
6
0
0
23-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
24-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
25-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
26-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
29-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
30-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
31-Jul-19
<=5
0
0
1-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
2-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
5-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
6-Aug-19
7
0
0
7-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
8-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
12-Aug-19
6
0
0
13-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
14-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
15-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
16-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
19-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
20-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
21-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
22-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
23-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
26-Aug-19
9
0
0
27-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
28-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
29-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
30-Aug-19
<=5
0
0
2-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
3-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
4-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
5-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
6-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
7-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
9-Sep-19
8
0
0
10-Sep-19
<=5
0
0

11-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
12-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
13-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
16-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
18-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
19-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
20-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
23-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
25-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
26-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
27-Sep-19
<=5
0
0
30-Sep-19
8
0
0
1-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
2-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
3-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
4-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
7-Oct-19
7
0
0
8-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
9-Oct-19
8
0
0
10-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
11-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
14-Oct-19
6
0
0
15-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
16-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
17-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
18-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
21-Oct-19
8
0
0
22-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
23-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
24-Oct-19
6
0
0
25-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
29-Oct-19
<=5
0
0
30-Oct-19
<=5
13
0
31-Oct-19
<=5
23
0
1-Nov-19
0
18
0
4-Nov-19
6
27
0
5-Nov-19
<=5
16
0
6-Nov-19
<=5
25
0
7-Nov-19
<=5
27
0
8-Nov-19
<=5
44
0
11-Nov-19
<=5
31
0
12-Nov-19
<=5
28
0
13-Nov-19
<=5
31
0
14-Nov-19
<=5
22
0
15-Nov-19
<=5
24
0
17-Nov-19
0
<=5
0
18-Nov-19
<=5
28
0

19-Nov-19
7
40
0
20-Nov-19
0
38
0
21-Nov-19
<=5
39
<=5
22-Nov-19
<=5
42
0
25-Nov-19
7
35
0
26-Nov-19
<=5
53
0
27-Nov-19
7
37
0
28-Nov-19
<=5
22
0
29-Nov-19
<=5
36
0
2-Dec-19
<=5
49
0
3-Dec-19
<=5
36
0
4-Dec-19
6
44
0
5-Dec-19
6
43
0
6-Dec-19
9
37
0
7-Dec-19
<=5
0
0
9-Dec-19
<=5
55
0
10-Dec-19
<=5
39
0
11-Dec-19
6
32
0
12-Dec-19
<=5
40
0
13-Dec-19
<=5
49
<=5
16-Dec-19
<=5
44
0
17-Dec-19
6
52
0
18-Dec-19
<=5
53
<=5
19-Dec-19
<=5
52
0
20-Dec-19
6
70
0
21-Dec-19
0
<=5
0
23-Dec-19
<=5
54
0
24-Dec-19
<=5
33
0
27-Dec-19
<=5
10
0
30-Dec-19
6
10
0
31-Dec-19
<=5
7
0
3-Jan-20
6
7
0
6-Jan-20
7
15
0
7-Jan-20
<=5
25
0
8-Jan-20
<=5
25
0
9-Jan-20
7
21
0
10-Jan-20
<=5
39
<=5
13-Jan-20
8
20
0
14-Jan-20
<=5
32
0
15-Jan-20
<=5
35
0
16-Jan-20
6
24
0
17-Jan-20
<=5
47
0
20-Jan-20
8
37
0
21-Jan-20
8
37
0
22-Jan-20
<=5
34
0
23-Jan-20
6
45
0
24-Jan-20
7
49
<=5

25-Jan-20
<=5
0
0
27-Jan-20
0
<=5
0
28-Jan-20
6
48
0
29-Jan-20
0
40
0
30-Jan-20
<=5
40
0
31-Jan-20
<=5
44
<=5

Table Two: Accepted dates of the oldest application in the non-priority skil ed residence queue, each
week from 1 July 2021 to 4 August 2021.
As at
Date of oldest application in the general (non-priority)
queue
5 July 2021
23 October 2021
12 July 2021
25 October 2021
19 July 2021
29 October 2021
26 July 2021
30 October 2021
4 August 2021
31 October 2021