24 May 2023
John Luke
[FYI request #22446 email]
File No: DOIA 2223-2343
Dear Mr Luke
I refer to your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) received on 14 April 2023
requesting the following information from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (the
Ministry):
I noted,
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.immigration.go
vt.nz%2Fassist-migrants-and-students%2Fassist-students%2Finternational-
markets%2Findia%2Fopportunities-risks%2Ffinancial-
fraud&data=05%7C01%7CMinisterialServices%40mbie.govt.nz%7C7cab99f1f595494ca97108
db3c430cd9%7C78b2bd11e42b47eab0112e04c3af5ec1%7C0%7C0%7C63817003092029054
4%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haW
wiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=swH0F3GTN6wnxfPBTWYUWf5lB4juPWo
RcS7IyP6QngE%3D&reserved=0
Due to fraud and misrepresentation, bona fide interviews will remain a necessity in order to
better gauge an applicant’s genuine intent to study in New Zealand.
May I kindly request the data from past 5 years, how many interview (in relation to
study/student visa) you have conduct in NZ and offshore. If offshore, please specify country
or region.
Our Response
The Appendix attached provides you with a table that shows the number of interviews for student visa
applications conducted by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022.
It is important to note that an individual may be interviewed multiple times per application, however
only the first interview is recorded.
The information is categorised by calendar year and by the application submission location, either in
New Zealand or offshore. If the application was submitted offshore, this has been broken down by
the applicant’s nationality as stated on their passport.
INZ cannot provide you with the location of the INZ office where each interview took place. To provide
this information Ministry staff would need to manually review each of these individual case files,
therefore this part of your request is being refused under section 18(f) of the Act as the information
requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research. Where information is
refused under section 18(f) of the Act, we have considered whether the Ministry would be able to
respond to your request given extra time or the ability to charge for the information requested,
however it is our opinion that it would not.
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.
Yours sincerely,
Karen Sionzon
Acting National Manager Allocation and Support
Verification and Compliance
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Appendix
The number of interviews for student visa applications conducted by Immigration New Zealand from
1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022*.
Submission
Passport
Calendar Year Student Interview
Total Student
Location
Nationality
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Interviews
Offshore
Afghanistan
2
.
.
.
.
2
Bahrain
1
.
.
.
.
1
Bangladesh
44
57
12
.
.
113
Barbados
1
.
.
.
.
1
Bhutan
2
8
.
.
.
10
Brazil
.
4
.
1
.
5
Cambodia
2
3
.
.
2
7
Canada
1
.
.
.
.
1
Chile
1
2
.
.
.
3
China
81
56
8
22
21
188
Colombia
10
4
.
.
.
14
Ecuador
.
1
1
.
.
2
Egypt
4
4
.
.
.
8
Ethiopia
2
1
1
.
.
4
Fiji
16
11
.
.
.
27
Germany
.
.
2
.
.
2
Ghana
5
8
1
.
1
15
Great Britain
1
.
.
.
.
1
Hong Kong
2
1
.
.
.
3
India
3,906
8,396
1,832
12
243
14,389
Indonesia
4
3
.
.
.
7
Iran
9
18
.
.
.
27
Israel
.
1
.
.
.
1
Ivory Coast
.
1
.
.
.
1
Japan
.
1
.
.
.
1
Jordan
6
2
.
.
.
8
Kazakhstan
.
.
1
.
.
1
Kenya
4
5
1
.
.
10
Kuwait
.
1
.
.
.
1
Libya
2
1
.
.
.
3
Malawi
1
.
.
.
.
1
Malaysia
.
2
1
.
1
4
Maldives
1
.
.
.
.
1
Mali
1
.
.
.
.
1
Mauritius
7
9
.
.
.
16
Morocco
1
1
.
.
.
2
Myanmar
.
1
.
.
1
2
Nepal
507
934
255
.
8
1,704
Nigeria
16
20
1
.
.
37
Pakistan
5
6
1
.
2
14
Palestine
.
1
.
.
.
1
Philippines
67
46
10
.
13
136
Qatar
.
1
.
.
.
1
Russia
3
1
2
.
.
6
Rwanda
2
.
.
.
.
2
Samoa
1
3
1
.
.
5
Saudi Arabia
3
3
1
.
.
7
Solomon Islands
.
.
1
.
.
1
South Africa
4
11
1
.
.
16
South Korea
3
5
2
.
.
10
Spain
.
1
.
.
.
1
Sri Lanka
230
481
133
.
3
847
Sudan
1
.
.
.
.
1
Switzerland
1
.
.
.
.
1
Taiwan
1
3
.
.
1
5
Tanzania
1
3
.
.
.
4
Thailand
34
12
1
.
1
48
Tonga
1
12
.
.
.
13
Tunisia
.
1
.
.
.
1
Turkey
1
3
.
.
.
4
Tuvalu
.
.
.
.
1
1
Uganda
5
2
.
.
.
7
United Arab
Emirates
1
.
.
.
.
1
United States of
America
1
1
1
.
.
3
Uzbekistan
1
.
.
.
.
1
Vietnam
67
239
55
.
3
364
Yemen
.
.
.
.
1
1
Zambia
3
.
.
.
.
3
Zimbabwe
5
9
.
.
1
15
Total Offshore
5,081 10,400
2,325
35
303
18,144
Total Onshore New Zealand
884
1,277
923
650
189
3,923
Total
5,965 11,677
3,248
685
492
22,067
* This data relies on manual submission in accordance with standard operating procedures, therefore it may contain errors
or omissions.
