3 December 2021
Ref: DOIA 2122-1061
Kim Reeves
Email: [FYI request #17464 email]
Tēnā koe Kim Reeves
Thank you for your 6 November 2021 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
Please can you confirm the following with regards to the EOIs in the pool for the parent category:
1. Total number of EOIs currently in the queue
2. Number of EOIs submitted after 20th May 2020
3. Total number of EOIs in the pool that meet the current criteria
Please find below a response to your questions:
1) Total number of EOIs currently in the queue and 2) Number of EOIs submitted after 20th May 2020
As at 25 November 2021 there are a total of 5,498 Parent Resident visa Expressions of Interest (EOI) in
the pool. Of these, 575 were submitted after 20 May 2020 (on, or after, 21 May 2020). You may be aware
that Parent Resident visa EOI selections have been suspended since 2016. Immigration New Zealand was
due to restart selections under the current criteria in May 2020, but this was suspended due to the
impacts of COVID-19 on visa processing.
3) Total number of EOIs in the pool that meet the current criteria
An EOI is submitted by individuals who consider that they meet the requirements of the Parent Category.
Immigration New Zealand does not assess whether an applicant meets the criteria of the Parent Category
until a residence application has been accepted for processing. As such, I am refusing this part of your
request under section 18(g) of the Act, that the information requested is not held by MBIE and I have no
grounds for believing that the information is either held by another department or connected more
closely with the functions of another department.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please contact [email address].
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.
Nāku noa, nā
Nicola Hogg
General Manager Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
