12 September 2023
45 Pipitea Street, Wellington 6011
Phone +64 4 495 7200
dia.govt.nz
EngNZ
[FYI request #23717 email]
Tēnā koe EngNZ
OIA request 23/24 0081 Request for information on the processing of citizenship by grant
applications.
Thank you for your Official Information Act (Act) request received by the Department of
Internal Affairs (Department) on 6 August 2023.
You requested –
1. Could I please request the following data for Citizenship Application By Grant
(Submitted online) for the month's June (1st May) 2022 to November (31st Dec)
2022?
Content requested.
Submitted Month
Number of Approved Applications (Submitted Online) Number of Processing
Applications (Submitted Online) Number of applications (Submitted Online) waiting
to be allocated to a case officer Number of applications (Submitted Online) each
month in different queues i.e., requesting the number of applications in each queue
separately (May 2022 to December 2022)
2. Also, if you can provide a breakup of, What is the submission month for each bucket's
allocated/processing applications (the day you answer)? For example: Bucket 1:
Currently processing Applications submitted in June 2022 Bucket 2: Currently
processing applications submitted in Dec 2022.
3. Can you provide me with information on the most recent application processed by
LISO each month? Can LISO decide to move the application to either Workstream 1 or
3, depending on the application, or does it have to go to Workstream regardless of
LISO'S decision on the application?
4. Applications that fail to pass automated checks must be assessed by LISO. Is it
possible for LISO to make the decision and process it to Workstream 3 for final
approval after being checked by LISO? Or does the decision made by LISO have to go
to Workstream 1 regardless?
5. What is the average time it takes for an application to be assigned to a case officer in
each workstream bucket? For example, Bucket 1 takes around 390 working days
from the date of submission.
6. Current status of applications for Citizenship by Grant submitted online during
October 2022?
An email was sent to you on 10 August 2023 for clarification of your request, specifically
questions three and four. You replied on 15 August 2023. To help clarify, you have broken
up the questions into smaller ones. Your request is now as follows –
1. Could I please request the following data for Citizenship Application By Grant
(Submitted online) for the month's June (1st May) 2022 to November (31st Dec)
2022?
Content requested.
Submitted Month
Number of Approved Applications (Submitted Online) Number of Processing
Applications (Submitted Online) Number of applications (Submitted Online) waiting
to be allocated to a case officer
2. Number of applications (Submitted Online) each month in different queues i.e.,
requesting the number of applications in each queue separately (May 2022 to
December 2022)
3. Also, if you can provide a breakup of, What is the submission month for each bucket's
allocated/processing applications (the day you answer)? For example: Bucket 1:
Currently processing Applications submitted in June 2022 Bucket 2: Currently
processing applications submitted in Dec 2022.
4. What is the average time it takes for an application to be assigned to a case officer in
each workstream bucket? For example, Bucket 1 takes around 390 working days
from the date of submission.
5. Current status of applications for Citizenship by Grant submitted online during
October 2022
6. Can you please provide me with information on the most recent application
processed by LISO?
7. Can LISO decide to move the application to either Workstream 1 or 3, depending on
the application, or does it have to go to Workstream regardless of LISO'S decision on
the application?
8. Are the applications that failed to pass automated checks must be assessed by LISO?
What will be the possible outcomes of LISO’s checking?
9. Is it possible for LISO to make the decision and process it to Workstream 3 for final
approval after being checked by LISO? Or must the decision made by LISO go to
Workstream 1 regardless?
In accordance with section 15(1AA) of the Act, you were advised that your amended or
clarified request was to be treated as a new request, replacing the original and the
timeframe for response was adjusted accordingly.
In response to your request, I can provide you with the following information.
Questions one, two, three, four and five
Please refer to Appendix A attached for the data portion of your request. Appendix A
provides you with a breakdown of the following –
• Table one – Citizenship by grant applications (CBG) submitted online between May
2022 and December 2022 by status.
• Table two – CBG applications submitted online between May 2022 and December
2022 by workstream.
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• Table three – Oldest unassigned online CBG application waiting to be assessed by
submitted month and workstream.
• Table four – Average working days taken for a Life and Identity Services Officer (LISO)
to be assigned to online CBG applications during August 2023 by workstream.
Caveats to the data in Appendix A
• The data was collated on 17 August 2023.
• The numbers come from a dynamic system environment and may differ slightly from
previous or future reporting.
Question six
We have interpreted this portion of your request to be for specific examples of applications
that have been processed. I must withhold this information pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of
the Act: the withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural
persons.
Question seven
As you may be aware, all applications begin in workstream 2 and are filtered to other
workstreams using system logic. Applications that are not automatically able to go to
workstreams 3, 4, 5 and 6 remain in this queue until they are picked up by an administrator
and pre-assessed for completeness, before then being moved to workstream 1. LISOs
cannot choose to move applications to workstream 3; only system logic can do that.
Applications can be manually transferred to workstream 1 if pre-assessment determines
extra manual intervention is required.
Question eight
It is important to explain that applications do not ‘fail’ automated checks. The difference is
between whether the system can automatically assess a requirement or if a manual
assessment by a LISO is required. Regardless of the automated checks, all applications
require some manual assessment by a LISO for an overall assessment (in other words, the
decision-making is not automated). The LISO then makes a recommendation for the
Minister’s approval about the applicant’s eligibility for citizenship.
Question nine
Applications can be fully processed, and a decision made, in all workstreams. If an
application is fully processed in workstream 3 it will remain in workstream 3 for a decision
to be made.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, the Department has
decided to proactively release a copy of this response on its website. All requestor data,
including your name and contact details, will be removed prior to release. The released
response will be made available here:
https://www.dia.govt.nz/Official-Information-Act-
Requests-2.
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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.
Ngā mihi
Kate Raggett
Manager Operational Policy and Official Correspondence
Service Delivery and Operations
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