Parent Resident Visa EOI Ballot cost and drawn algorithm
Y Chen made this Official Information request to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
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From: Y Chen
Dear Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment,
Immigration New Zealand charges $450 for submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Parent Resident Visa. Applicants are required to pay this fee to remain in the EOI ballot every two years. As of February 2025, there are 10,518 EOIs in the pool, generating approximately $4.73 million in revenue for Immigration New Zealand every two years.
Could you please provide a detailed cost breakdown associated with managing the Parent Resident Visa EOI, including:
- The cost of operating the ballot itself.
- Any other costs related to the EOI process, excluding the ballot.
In addition, could you please:
- Explain the rationale for setting the EOI fee at $450.
- Clarify why EOIs are required to expire every two years, rather than being valid for a longer period.
a. If EOIs did not expire, applicants would not need to pay the $450 repeatedly.
b. Retaining an EOI in the ballot pool does not appear to incur significant additional system costs.
I would also appreciate it if you could provide the standard operating procedure (SOP) for conducting the EOI ballot draw.
Furthermore, I am seeking information on the following:
- What tool is used to conduct the ballot draw, and who is the provider?
- What measures are in place to ensure the draw is conducted randomly and fairly for all applicants?
- What processes are used to ensure all submitted EOIs are correctly included in the ballot pool?
- Has the tool and its algorithm been reviewed?
If the ballot system has been developed in-house or MBIE owns the tool, I kindly request the source code.
Yours faithfully,
Y Chen
From: NoReplyMinisterialServices
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Kia ora Y Chen,
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 13/06/2025 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
Could you please provide a detailed cost breakdown associated with
managing the Parent Resident Visa EOI, including:
- The cost of operating the ballot itself.
- Any other costs related to the EOI process, excluding the ballot.
In addition, could you please:
- Explain the rationale for setting the EOI fee at $450.
- Clarify why EOIs are required to expire every two years, rather than
being valid for a longer period.
a. If EOIs did not expire, applicants would not need to pay the $450
repeatedly.
b. Retaining an EOI in the ballot pool does not appear to incur
significant additional system costs.
I would also appreciate it if you could provide the standard operating
procedure (SOP) for conducting the EOI ballot draw.
Furthermore, I am seeking information on the following:
- What tool is used to conduct the ballot draw, and who is the provider?
- What measures are in place to ensure the draw is conducted randomly and
fairly for all applicants?
- What processes are used to ensure all submitted EOIs are correctly
included in the ballot pool?
- Has the tool and its algorithm been reviewed?
If the ballot system has been developed in-house or MBIE owns the tool, I
kindly request the source code.
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 14/07/2025, being 20 working days after the day your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If you have any enquiries
regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to
[1][MBIE request email].
Nāku noa, nā
Ministerial Services
Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 | P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140
References
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1. mailto:[MBIE request email]
From: Y Chen
Dear MBIE,
Please advice if the a respond can be expected by the end of the day, today being the due day.
Thank you
Yours sincerely,
Y Chen
From: INZ OIAs
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Kia ora
Please see the attached letter related to your request for information
under the Official Information Act 1982.
Ngā Mihi,
Emma
MINISTERIAL SERVICES
Office of the Deputy Secretary Immigration, Immigration New Zealand | Rōpū
Manene
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki
NZBN 9429000106078
[1]457667B6
References
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From: INZ OIAs
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Kia ora
Please see the attached letter related to your request for information
under the Official Information Act 1982.
Ngā Mihi,
Emma
MINISTERIAL SERVICES
Office of the Deputy Secretary Immigration, Immigration New Zealand | Rōpū
Manene
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki
NZBN 9429000106078
[1]457667B6
References
Visible links
From: Y Chen
Dear INZ OIAs,
I understand the response has been postponed again. Can you please advise the expect delivery date?
Thank you
Yours sincerely,
Y Chen
From: INZ OIAs
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
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Kia ora
Please find attached the response to your Official Information Act
request.
Ngā Mihi,
Emma
Ministerial Service, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Immigration New
Zealand | Te Rōpū Manene
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki
NZBN 9429000106078
[1]457667B6
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Danilo Macedo left an annotation ()
Thank you, Y Chen, for your detailed request! I was about to write the same... I think the main question here is why there is a limit on the time you remain in the pool. If the intention is to ensure people still want to be in it, then why charge for re-entry? We're being forced to bet on something that should be our right as citizens.
Having to spend money every two years without any justification and with an exceptionally low chance of getting the opportunity to apply for the visa (which will be extremely expensive by itself) is unfair to all NZ citizens and residents who just want to be closer to their family.
It looks like just another tool to get money from all of us, and it doesn't even give sufficient information about the process... I literally have nothing but an email saying my mom is in it. Not even a portal where we can log in and check the status (just something as simple as name in the ballot). And now just received another email saying it will expire, literally 1 week before it does.
It's like, give me your money, I'll put your name in a black box and you will have a slight chance (and you only have our word for that) of getting the opportunity to apply for a visa. It's like NZ wants everyone to be alone or leave.
Link to this