24 June 2024
Uma Tatikonda
[FYI request #26974 email]
DOIA 2324-2600
Tēnā koe Uma
Thank you for your email of 24 May 2024 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982, the following:
1. Your website states that the processing time for a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa
is 9 months. I am seeking clarification on whether this entire duration is necessary for processing
and whether any delays are due to procedural or resource-related factors.
2. While a visitor visa takes 3 weeks and a work visa takes 5 weeks, a resident visa takes 9
months. I would appreciate an explanation for this significant difference in processing times.
3. Could you kindly share the guidelines for approving a residence under the partnership
category?
4. I am interested in understanding why INZ does not provide an interim visa for a Partner of a
New Zealander Resident Visa, especially in comparison to the interim visas issued for temporary
visitor and work visas.
5. It would be helpful to receive information on the number of partnership residence visas
currently in the system, as wel as the monthly approval numbers.
6. Lastly, could you provide the average waiting time for a residence visa application before it is
assigned to a case officer?
On 29 May 2024, we asked you to clarify whether the timeframe you wanted the data to cover regarding
questions 5 and 6 was for the last 12 months.
On the same day, you responded with the following:
Sorry for the confusion. Please provide the data based on the last 12 months.
Our Response
Questions 1 and 2
The time it takes to decide an application depends on a number of factors that may be outside the
control of the immigration officer, including third-party checks (such as character and medical checks)
and, in some cases, waiting for information from the applicant. It is not uncommon for some applications
to have longer processing times than others due to their relative complexity.
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More information on processing times can be found on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website
here:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/waiting-for-a-visa/why-some-applications-are-
processed-faster-than-others
Please note that the timeframes indicated on our website are updated as processing times change and
are pulled directly from data relating to average processing times of the different application types.
Question 3
In order to be granted a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa, applicants must demonstrate that
they have been living in a genuine and stable relationship with a New Zealand citizen or resident for at
least 12 months prior to the date that the application was lodged. They must also meet all health and
character requirements for residence.
Further information about the requirements for this category can be found on the INZ website here:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/partnership-resident-visa
Question 4
Under current immigration instructions, interim visas can only be granted to people in New Zealand who
have either a temporary visa application, an application for a resident visa under the Skilled Migrant
Category or an application under the 2021 Resident Visa under consideration. If a person who has
applied for a Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa is concerned that their visa will expire before INZ
makes a decision on their application, they can apply for a temporary visa so they will be eligible for an
interim visa if they need one.
Questions 5 and 6
As at 9 June 2024, there are 6,938 partnership resident visa applications in progress, this includes
Partner of an Expatriate, Permanent Resident Visa applications. Please refer to the attached Appendix
for the remainder of the questions.
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.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact
[email address]
Nāku noa, nā
Jock Gilray
Director Visa
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
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