Please note this is an automatically generated email. 

  

Thank you for taking the time to contact Hon Brooke van Velden, MP for
Tâmaki, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister for Workplace Relations
and Safety.  

  

While the Minister considers all correspondence to be important, and all
messages are carefully read and considered, she receives a large volume of
correspondence and it is not always possible to provide a personal
response.  

 

The following guidelines apply:  

o Where the Minister has portfolio responsibility for the issues that
you have raised, your correspondence will be considered and responded
to where appropriate.  This email serves as an acknowledgement that
your message has been received and will be dealt with in line with
these guidelines. Please note that if your correspondence requires a
response, we endeavour to reply within 20 working days.  
o If you are a Tâmaki resident, your email will be passed to the
Minister’s electorate office. You can get in touch with them directly
by emailing: [1][email address]  
o If your message expresses a personal view or is for advice, or if you
have copied your email to another Minister and/or Member of Parliament
with more appropriate portfolio responsibilities, then your message
will be noted.  
o If your message falls within the portfolio responsibilities of another
Minister not copied into your email, it will be transferred as
appropriate.  
o If your message is better responded to by an agency or department, it
may be transferred as necessary, in which case you will hear from a
staff member at the responsible agency or department directly in due
course.  
o If you have invited the Minister to an event or meeting, it will be
processed as such and go to the Minister for consideration. This email
serves as an acknowledgement that we have received your invitation and
will get back to you as soon as there is an outcome.  
o If you have made a request for official information, then this will be
managed in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information
Act 1982 
o If you have made a media request, it will be passed to our Press
Secretary. 

 

  Office of Hon Brooke van Velden  

Minister of Internal Affairs 

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety  

MP for Tâmaki  

Website: [2]www.Beehive,govt.nz  

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand 

 

Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington  

 

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful. 

Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy
at [3]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.beehive,govt.nz/
3. https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

Dear Paul,

Thank you for your email in which you submitted an Official Information Act request below.

Minister van Velden is considering your request in accordance with the Act.

Ngâ mihi,

Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
MP for Tâmaki
Website: www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’ portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list: date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul <[FOI #28572 email]>
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2024 12:14 PM
To: Brooke van Velden (MIN) <[email address]>
Subject: OIA119 Official Information request - Citizenship processing timeframes

Dear Brooke van Velden,

As at 2 September 2024, the Citizenship Office within the Department of Internal Affairs 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 you please address the following questions?

1. In light of many applicants' uncertainty and concern, can you please explicitly state your position of whether the current backlog and processing times are considered acceptable and in line with departmental performance targets?

2. Do you consider the current backlog and processing times to be an issue, and have you identified reducing both, or either, as priorities for the DIA?

3. Can you please clarify whether you have requested, or plan to request, that the DIA establishes a designated strategy or work programme to reduce the current backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications beyond the DIA's standard improvement goals?

4. Do you plan to allocate additional resources to the DIA dedicated to increasing processing capacities for CbG applications (e.g. additional FTE)?

5. Does your work programme over the next 6-12 months include steps towards the DIA reducing the backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications?

Please note that this request specifically seeks your rather than the DIA's responses to the listed questions.

Yours faithfully,

Paul

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #28572 email]

Is [Brooke van Velden request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Brooke van Velden? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

________________________________

hide quoted sections

Dear Paul,

On behalf of Hon Brooke van Velden thank you for your OIA request.

The information you have requested is more closely connected to the functions of the Department of Internal Affairs. Therefore, your request is being transferred to that department in accordance with section 14 (b)(ii) of the Act.

You can expect to hear from DIA directly in due course.

Kind regards,

Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety
MP for Tâmaki
Website: www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’ portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list: date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

-----Original Message-----
From: Brooke van Velden (MIN) <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2024 1:57 PM
To: Paul <[FOI #28572 email]>
Subject: RE: OIA119 Official Information request - Citizenship processing timeframes

Dear Paul,

Thank you for your email in which you submitted an Official Information Act request below.

Minister van Velden is considering your request in accordance with the Act.

Ngâ mihi,

Office of Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety MP for Tâmaki
Website: www.Beehive,govt.nz
Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is prohibited and may be unlawful.
Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’ portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list: date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul <[FOI #28572 email]>
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2024 12:14 PM
To: Brooke van Velden (MIN) <[email address]>
Subject: OIA119 Official Information request - Citizenship processing timeframes

Dear Brooke van Velden,

As at 2 September 2024, the Citizenship Office within the Department of Internal Affairs 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 you please address the following questions?

1. In light of many applicants' uncertainty and concern, can you please explicitly state your position of whether the current backlog and processing times are considered acceptable and in line with departmental performance targets?

2. Do you consider the current backlog and processing times to be an issue, and have you identified reducing both, or either, as priorities for the DIA?

3. Can you please clarify whether you have requested, or plan to request, that the DIA establishes a designated strategy or work programme to reduce the current backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications beyond the DIA's standard improvement goals?

4. Do you plan to allocate additional resources to the DIA dedicated to increasing processing capacities for CbG applications (e.g. additional FTE)?

5. Does your work programme over the next 6-12 months include steps towards the DIA reducing the backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications?

Please note that this request specifically seeks your rather than the DIA's responses to the listed questions.

Yours faithfully,

Paul

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #28572 email]

Is [Brooke van Velden request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Brooke van Velden? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

________________________________

hide quoted sections

Good morning Paul,

 

I have reviewed your correspondence and concluded the Department of
Internal Affairs requested transfer of your request incorrectly. Your
email doesn’t request official information so will not be processed as an
OIA. The Minister will draft a response to your questions, and this will
be sent to you as soon as practicable.

 

Apologies for the confusion.

 

Kind regards

Nick

 

 

Nick Williamson

Internal Affairs Private Secretary | Office of Hon Brooke van Velden

Minister of Internal Affairs

Minister for Workplace Relations

MP for Tâmaki
 

Email: [1][email address]    Website:
[2]www.Beehive,govt.nz

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

 

Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.

Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
[3]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

 

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

From: Paul <[4][FOI #28572 email]>

Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2024 12:14 PM

To: Brooke van Velden (MIN) <[5][email address]>

Subject: Official Information request - Citizenship processing timeframes

 

Dear Brooke van Velden,

 

As at 2 September 2024, the Citizenship Office within the Department of
Internal Affairs 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 you
please address the following questions?

 

1. In light of many applicants' uncertainty and concern, can you please
explicitly state your position of whether the current backlog and
processing times are considered acceptable and in line with departmental
performance targets?

 

2. Do you consider the current backlog and processing times to be an
issue, and have you identified reducing both, or either, as priorities for
the DIA?

 

3. Can you please clarify whether you have requested, or plan to request,
that the DIA establishes a designated strategy or work programme to reduce
the current backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications beyond the
DIA's standard improvement goals?

 

4. Do you plan to allocate additional resources to the DIA dedicated to
increasing processing capacities for CbG applications (e.g. additional
FTE)?

 

5. Does your work programme over the next 6-12 months include steps
towards the DIA reducing the backlog and/or processing times of CbG
applications?

 

Please note that this request specifically seeks your rather than the
DIA's responses to the listed questions.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Paul

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[6][FOI #28572 email]

 

Is [7][Brooke van Velden request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Brooke van Velden? If so, please contact us using
this form:

[8]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[9]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

________________________________

 

________________________________

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.beehive,govt.nz/
3. https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
4. mailto:[FOI #28572 email]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. mailto:[FOI #28572 email]
7. mailto:[Brooke van Velden request email]
8. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/fyi.o...
9. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/fyi.o...

hide quoted sections

Dear Paul,

 

Please find attached on behalf of the Hon Brooke van Velden a letter in
response to your email of 29 September 2024 regarding your concerns with
the current citizenship by grant processing timeframes and the number of
applications yet to be allocated to Life Identity and Service Officers
(LISO) for processing,

 

Kind regards

 

 

Office of Hon Brooke van Velden

Minister of Internal Affairs

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

MP for Tāmaki

Website: [1]www.Beehive,govt.nz

Private Bag 18041, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160, New Zealand

 

Authorised by Hon Brooke van Velden, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

 

 

Disclaimer: The information in this email (including attachments) is
confidential and may be legally privileged. If an addressing or
transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by
replying to this email and destroy the message. If you are not the
intended recipient, any use, disclosure, copying or distribution is
prohibited and may be unlawful.

Please note information about meetings related to the Ministers’
portfolios will be proactively released (this does not include personal or
constituency matters). For each meeting in scope, the summary would list:
date, time (start and finish), brief description, location, who the
meeting was with, and the portfolio. If you attend a meeting with the
Minister on behalf of an organisation, the name of the organisation will
be released. If you are a senior staff member at an organisation, or meet
with the Minister in your personal capacity, your name may also be
released. The location of the meeting will be released, unless it is a
private residence. The proactive release will be consistent with the
provisions in the Official Information Act, including privacy
considerations. Under the Privacy Act 1993 you have the right to ask for a
copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to
be corrected if you think it is wrong. If you’d like to ask for a copy of
your information, or to have it corrected, or are concerned about the
release of your information in the meeting disclosure, please contact the
sender. You can read more about the proactive release policy at
[2]https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...

 

 

 

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

From: Paul <[3][FOI #28572 email]>

Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2024 12:14 PM

To: Brooke van Velden (MIN) <[4][email address]>

Subject: Official Information request - Citizenship processing timeframes

 

Dear Brooke van Velden,

 

As at 2 September 2024, the Citizenship Office within the Department of
Internal Affairs 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 you
please address the following questions?

 

1. In light of many applicants' uncertainty and concern, can you please
explicitly state your position of whether the current backlog and
processing times are considered acceptable and in line with departmental
performance targets?

 

2. Do you consider the current backlog and processing times to be an
issue, and have you identified reducing both, or either, as priorities for
the DIA?

 

3. Can you please clarify whether you have requested, or plan to request,
that the DIA establishes a designated strategy or work programme to reduce
the current backlog and/or processing times of CbG applications beyond the
DIA's standard improvement goals?

 

4. Do you plan to allocate additional resources to the DIA dedicated to
increasing processing capacities for CbG applications (e.g. additional
FTE)?

 

5. Does your work programme over the next 6-12 months include steps
towards the DIA reducing the backlog and/or processing times of CbG
applications?

 

Please note that this request specifically seeks your rather than the
DIA's responses to the listed questions.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Paul

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[5][FOI #28572 email]

 

Is [6][Brooke van Velden request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Brooke van Velden? If so, please contact us using
this form:

[7]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[8]https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://fyi....

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

________________________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. http://www.beehive,govt.nz/
2. https://www.dia.govt.nz/Proactive-Releas...
3. mailto:[FOI #28572 email]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[FOI #28572 email]
6. mailto:[Brooke van Velden request email]
7. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/fyi.o...
8. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/fyi.o...

hide quoted sections