13 February 2023
Chris
[FYI request #21530 email]
Ref: DOIA 2223-1439
Dear Chris,
Thank you for your email of 7 January 2023 requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act),
the following information:
How many people have been applying for an Arts and Music Festival Visitor Visa, how many have
been approved, and how many have been denied?
On 11 January 2023, we sent you a letter asking to specify the timeframe of your request.
On 23 January 2023, we received your response confirming that the timeframe of your request is
“for the last 24 months”.
Our Response
Before 1 August 2022, when Immigration New Zealand (INZ) moved the visa category onto the enhanced
Immigration Online system, applications for the Approved Arts and Music Festival visitor visa were
recorded as general visitor visas and could not be identified without manually reviewing each visa
application.
As INZ is still transitioning to this system, some Arts and Music Festival visitor visa applications are
processed under the old system and are recorded as general visitor visas. This means that INZ can
identify some but not all visa applications under this category.
In addition, people from visa waiver countries do not need to apply for a visitor visa. They may travel to
New Zealand if they hold a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) and be granted a visitor visa
on arrival. As such, performers and support crew cannot be distinguished from other visitors holding an
NZeTA.
You can find more information about the countries eligible for the NZeTA here:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-application/your-journey-to-
new-zealand/before-you-travel-to-new-zealand/visa-waiver-countries.
For the reasons outlined above, your request for information is refused under sections 18(e) and 18(f) of
the Act as the information requested does not exist or cannot be made available without substantial
collation or research.
However, please refer to the table below presenting available data for the period from 1 August 2022
to 1 February 2023, retrieved from the enhanced Immigration Online system:
Table: Number of people who applied for an Approved Arts and Music Festival visitor visa application
lodged via the enhanced Immigration Online system from 1 August to 1 February 2023.
Status
2022
2023
Total
Submitted
46
30
76
Approved
17
11
28
Declined
1
1
2
I hope you find this information helpful. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of the Ministry’s response to your request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act.
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 con
tact [email address]
Yours sincerely,
Nicola Hogg
General Manager, Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand