Tçnâ koe Paul

 

Thank you for your OIA request received by the Department of Internal
Affairs on 29 September 2024.

 

The Department will provide its response to your request as soon as
practicable and within twenty working days.  The 20th working day is 25
October 2024.

 

Please note that in cases where the Department’s response provides
information that is identified to be of general public interest, the
response may also be published on the Department of Internal Affairs
website.  If the Department publishes its response to your OIA request,
all personal information, including your name and contact details, will be
removed.

 

Ngâ mihi

 

Huey Lim| Advisor Official Correspondence
Te Pâhekoheko, Kâwai ki te iwi | Operations, Service Delivery and
Operations

Te Tari Taiwhenua  The Department of Internal Affairs
[1]www.dia.govt.nz

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Paul <[2][FOI #28571 email]>

Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2024 11:55 AM

To: OIA <[3][DIA request email]>

Subject: Official Information request - Citizenship processing timeframes

 

[You don't often get email from
[4][FOI #28571 email]. Learn why this is
important at [5]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Department of Internal Affairs,

 

As at 2 September 2024, the Citizenship Office is facing a backlog of over
20,000 unassigned Citizenship by Grant applications, dating back to July
2023. Additionally, thousands of applications are still being processed,
dating back as far as April 2023.

 

This backlog and processing times of up to 18 months cause significant
uncertainty, concern, and stress among tens of thousands of applicants.
Given the unacceptable processing times for CbG applications, can the DIA
please address the following questions?

 

1. In light of many applicants' uncertainty and concern, can the DIA
please explicitly state its position of whether the current backlog and
processing times are considered acceptable and in line with internal
targets, especially average/median processing times?

 

2. Does the DIA consider the current backlog and processing times to be an
issue, and has reducing both, or either, been identified as priorities for
the Citizenship Office?

 

3. Can the DIA share any internal correspondence with the Citizenship
Office and/or correspondence with the Minister of Internal Affairs
pertaining to the backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications
since the Minister took office in November 2023?

 

4. Apart from the DIA's standard response that assessment processes and
staff training are continuously improved, has the Citizenship Office
established, or does it plan to establish, a designated strategy or work
programme to reduce the current backlog and/or processing times of CbG
applications? Furthermore, has the Citizenship Office increased, or does
it plan to increase, processing capacities for CbG applications (e.g.
additional FTE)?

 

5. Does the DIA project any noteworthy reductions in the backlog and/or
processing times of CbG applications over the next 6-12 months?

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Paul

 

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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

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[6][FOI #28571 email]

 

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References

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1. http://www.dia.govt.nz/
2. mailto:[FOI #28571 email]
3. mailto:[DIA request email]
4. mailto:[FOI #28571 email]
5. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
6. mailto:[FOI #28571 email]
7. mailto:[DIA request email]
8. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
9. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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Kia ora Paul

 

Please find attached the response to your Official Information Act
Request.

 

Ngā mihi

 

Huey Lim| Advisor Official Correspondence
Te Pāhekoheko, Kāwai ki te iwi | Operations, Service Delivery and
Operations

Te Tari Taiwhenua  The Department of Internal Affairs

[1]www.dia.govt.nz

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.dia.govt.nz/