Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,

Why is the visa processing for visitors including family members (especially parents) of NZ citizens, permanent residents and work visa holders still remains suspended and scheduled to restart from October?

As per the prime ministers' press conference on 16/03/2022, visa processing on hold was not a matter of Covid-19 safety that meant the border remained closed to non-visa waiver countries, but a matter of capacity in visa processing.

Prior to the pandemic, Immigration New Zealand processed such applications on a daily basis.

Why is Immigration New Zealand not ramping up its capacity for the families of non-visa waiver countries who are separated for a long time and will continue so with delays in visa processing?

It is great that NZ will get much needed tourists from visa waiver countries from May but there should be some consideration for those who consider NZ their home, to be able to be with their whanau after 2 years and for some even longer.

Yours faithfully,

P Thakkar

Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,

Thank you Jasmine for your response. I would like to know why can't the visitor visa applications open now? Why can't some consideration be given to the families of those who already are in New Zealand?

Even during the pandemic, our neighboring country Australia which had somewhat similar covid-19 response to New Zealand did process visa for family members including parents.
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/covid19/u....

In line with the border opening to the rest of the world, it would be ideal if visitor visa categories should have been reopened.

Yours faithfully,

P Thakkar