28 February 2023
Isla Stewart
[FYI request #21630 email]
Ref: DOIA – 2223 -1621
Dear Isla,
Thank you for your email of 26 January 2023, requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act), the following information:
“In 2007, Estonia-New Zealand Working Holiday Scheme came into force. I write to request the
following statistics from Immigration NZ:
1. Total number of visa applications received under this scheme each year.
2. Total number of accepted visa applications under this scheme each year
3. Total number of declined visa applications under this scheme each year.
Should this information be available in a different form (for example, monthly) that will be fine
also”
On 20 February 2023, we sent you a letter asking you to clarify if you were requesting the number of
‘approved’ or ‘accepted’ applications in
Question Two of your request. On the same date, you confirmed
you wanted the number of ‘approved’ applications.
Our Response
Please refer to
Appendix One for the information you requested.
In late March 2020, New Zealand closed its borders to all but New Zealand citizens and critical workers who
obtained border exceptions, hence there are no figures from April 2020, for all of 2021, and for the first
two months of 2022. From March 2022, New Zealand started reopening its borders.
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 contact
[email address]. Yours sincerely,
Michael Carley
(Acting) General Manager, Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
Appendix One
Table One: The number of applications accepted under the Estonia Working Holiday Scheme from
1 April 2007 to 23 February 2023.
Year/Month 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
January
5
4
13
15
February
4
5
9
4
1
March
9
10
4
4
3
April
4
4
4
11
10
12
63
102
102
May
2
8
5
11
6
12
25
3
5
June
3
3
6
7
8
14
12
July
7
3
7
10
9
14
8
2
August
4
7
6
14
12
11
1
2
September
10
1
7
6
11
20
October
2
9
4
13
9
11
November
4
6
5
4
14
16
December
3
3
4
9
9
1
Total
39
57
68
102
109
130
109
109
107
Year/Month
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
January
1
3
February
1
2
March
100
100
99
100
37
April
6
6
1
13
May
3
10
June
1
1
7
July
1
6
August
2
6
September
8
October
20
November
1
3
December
7
Total
108
100
105
108
2
117
5
Table Two: The number of applications approved under the Estonia Working Holiday Scheme from
1 April 2007 to 23 February 2023.
Year/Month
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
January
2
3
4
9
9
February
2
8
2
11
9
March
5
4
8
5
1
April
1
6
9
3
3
12
34
62
83
May
4
4
2
16
6
7
30
36
18
June
3
6
6
6
8
9
19
July
6
5
6
4
10
17
14
August
1
7
7
7
8
9
3
1
September
10
1
7
19
9
12
1
October
3
8
7
7
9
16
November
5
5
1
8
6
10
December
1
2
7
3
13
11
Total
34
51
67
87
97
122
100
100
101
Year/Month
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
January
4
February
3
March
2
1
2
April
95
94
95
89
39
May
4
5
5
10
June
1
2
6
July
1
6
August
5
September
9
October
16
November
3
December
1
6
Total
101
96
100
98
2
100
7
Table Three: The number of declined applications under the Estonia Working Holiday Scheme from
1 April 2007 to 23 February 2023.
Year/Month
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
January
2
3
February
1
March
1
1
April
2
1
2
3
May
1
1
3
4
3
June
1
3
1
July
1
1
1
2
August
1
1
1
3
1
2
September
1
5
2
October
1
November
1
1
2
1
December
1
2
2
3
Total
1
4
4
5
18
13
9
9
6
Year/Month
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
January
February
March
April
5
3
5
2
May
1
3
3
June
2
1
4
July
2
August
September
2
2
October
1
November
December
1
Total
7
4
5
10
11
