IR-01-22-31668
21 November 2022
Julie Mariuzzo
[FYI request #20847 email]
Tēnā koe Julie
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 13 October 2022, in
which you asked for information regarding Immigration New Zealand (INZ) vetting
requests relating to the Residence Visa (RV) 2021 programme.
My response to each of your questions can be found below.
1. How many police vetting service requests have been made by Immigration
New Zealand between 1 January 2022 and today
A total of 124,024 vetting requests were received from INZ between 1 January 2022 and
7 November 2022 under the RV 2021 programme.
2. Of these, how many have been completed (police vetting outcome
communicated to Immigration New Zealand)?
Of the 124,024 vetting requests received from INZ between 1 January 2022 and 7
November 2022, a total of 109,381 have been completed and released as of 1pm on 7
November 2022.
3. Could you please provide a breakdown by month of the number of police
vetting service requests received from Immigration New Zealand and the number
of police vetting service requests completed since 1st January 2022?
Please refer to Appendix A.
4. How many police vetting service requests from Immigration New Zealand are
stil pending on the day this OIA request is made.
The number of requests pending from a date in the past is unable to be determined using
the available reporting technology. However, as of 1pm on 7 November 2022, a total of
14,643 INZ RV 2021 requests are pending.
5. What is the current processing timeframe to answer police vetting service
request from Immigration New Zealand?
For applications submitted between 1 January 2022 and 7 November 2022, the average
processing time is 30.5 working days.
INZ and the Police Vetting Service are working closely together to ensure that all RV
2021 applications are being processed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Police National Headquarters
180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Telephone: 04 474 9499. Fax: 04 498 7400. www.police.govt.nz
INZ has agreed that the standard Vetting Service 20 working day service level wil not
apply to RV 2021 applications. This is because it would not be reasonable to hold the
Vetting Service to this timeframe when they are submitting such a high volume of
requests in addition to the normal volumes received by the Police Vetting Service.
6. In what order are the police vetting service requests from Immigration New
Zealand processed? Some requests have been pending for more than 4 months
whereas some are released on the day they are requested.
Generally, al vetting applications are processed based on the date of submission, from
oldest to newest. However, individual processing times for a vetting application can
fluctuate, depending on several factors including the complexity of the information being
assessed, and whether an application meets the criteria for automation.
Additionally, some applications may be subject to an internal review process, which can
also impact upon the processing time. Internal reviews may be necessary for a number of
reasons. For example, identity details of the applicant may need to be confirmed with the
agency, or ambiguous information may need to be clarified by requesting and reviewing
additional information from other Police workgroups and districts. The review process is
important to ensure that vetting applications are completed accurately and fairly.
As a result, some vetting requests may be released to INZ prior to other requests that
were submitted on an earlier date.
If you have further questions that pertain to the Vetting Process, please do not hesitate to
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,
Genevieve Courtney
Vetting Advisor
New Zealand Police
Appendix A Immigration New Zealand Resident Visa 2021 requests received and completed by month
INZ requests received by month
Total
Jan 22
Feb 22
Mar 22
Apr 22
May 22
Jun 22
Jul 22
Aug 22
Sep 22
Oct 22
MBIE - New Zealand
Immigration Service -
2,262
6,772
9,799
619
42,819
10,699
40,743
6,577
2,610
591
123,491
2021 Residence Visa
MBIE - New Zealand
Immigration Service -
3,926
5,169
4,226
1,979
2,871
2,231
1,843
2,387
1,918
1,165
27,715
All remaining visa types
Total
6,188
11,941
14,025
2,598
45,690
12,930
42,586
8,964
4,528
1,756
151,206
INZ requests completed by month
Total
Jan 22
Feb 22
Mar 22
Apr 22
May 22
Jun 22
Jul 22
Aug 22
Sep 22
Oct 22
MBIE - New Zealand
Immigration Service -
10,701
3,955
11,267
2,247
10,392
20,213
16,582
15,633
9,330
3,800
104,120
2021 Residence Visa
Police National Headquarters
180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Telephone: 04 474 9499. Fax: 04 498 7400. www.police.govt.nz
