23 July 2025
Y Chen
[FYI request #31302 email]
DOIA-REQ-0016115
Tēnā koe
Thank you for your email of 13 June 2025 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), information on the Parent
Resident Visa Expression of Interest (EOI) ballot cost and drawn algorithm.
On 14 July we extended the time available to respond to this request and advised that MBIE’s response
would be sent no later than 22 July 2025. The reason for the extension is that consultations necessary
to make a decision on your request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably be made within
the original time limit.
On 22 July we advised that MBIE had assessed and decided to grant your request and would provide
you the requested information as soon as it is ready and without undue delay. We noted that some
information would be withheld where necessary.
Our response to your requests is outlined below. You may also be interested to know that the Minister
of Immigration has asked officials to prioritise work to review the Parent Category allocation system.
This work will commence later this year.
More information about the Parent Resident Visa category is available here:
Parent Resident Visa
overview and application numbers :: Immigration New Zealand
Our Response
Request: 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.
Immigration fees are set to cover the direct and indirect costs of processing immigration applications,
including EOIs. However, providing a specific cost breakdown for managing the Parent Resident EOI
process is challenging due to variability of the associated expenses. Additionally, the staff involved in
running the ballot also work on other immigration products meaning providing exact figures for each
component is not feasible.
The direct costs associated with EOIs include assessment of whether the EOI meets the criteria to be
issued with an invitation to apply, in addition to reviewing the pool for duplicate EOIs prior to each
selection, maintenance of contact details and sending out relevant communications to clients as required.
In addition to the direct costs, indirect costs of processing include, but are not limited to, maintenance of
ICT systems, contact centre and property.
More information about immigration fees and levies can be found here:
Fees and levies :: Immigration
New Zealand
Request: In addition, could you please:
-
Explain the rationale for setting the EOI fee at $450.
Submitting a ballot attracts a fee to recover the cost of administration, as outlined above. When the
Parent Category reopened in October 2022, the existing fee which accounts for the administration of the
visa was maintained. MBIE officials regularly review immigration fees and levies to ensure they align with
cost recovery principals. As a part of a future fee and levy review, officials will reconsider whether the fee
is at an appropriate level for a Parent Category EOI.
Request: 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.
EOIs within the Parent Category’s ballot pool are subject to a two-year expiry to ensure that the
information the submitter provided is up to date and accurate regarding their current interest and
eligibility for the visa.
For further information on decisions made regarding the expiration of EOIs, please see the proactively
released Cabinet Paper
Options for updating and reopening the Parent Category Resident Visa –
Paragraphs 61 and 62. This paper can be found on the following page:
Options for updating and reopening
the Parent Category Resident Visa
Request: I would also appreciate it if you could provide the standard operating procedure (SOP) for
conducting the EOI ballot draw.
Please refer to Appendix A.
Request: 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?
Immigration New Zealand’s Application Management System (AMS) generates a random selection of EOIs
from the Parent Category ballot pool in AMS.
Please refer to Appendix A, page 18, for more information on the EOI ballot selection.
Only Immigration Officers with access to the Family Parent Ballot application can process the ballot draw.
The Family Parent Ballot screen contains a total of all the ballot EOIs as well as the number of successful
EOIs selected in the ballot so numbers can be crossed referenced. The EOIs can also be viewed.
All ballot data is stored in the database for audit purposes.
Request: - Has the tool and its algorithm been reviewed?
All code was reviewed by DXC Technology. DXC Technology provide regular support and development of
INZ processing systems. The program and process were thoroughly tested by DXC Technology and MBIE
test teams.
Request: If the ballot system has been developed in-house or MBIE owns the tool, I kindly request the
source code.
This part of your request is refused under section 6(c) of the Act, as making this information available
would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law, including the prevention, investigation, and
detection of offences, and the right to a fair trial. Releasing the requested information could undermine
the security of the ballot system, which is essential to maintaining the integrity and fairness of the
process.
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
Jeannie Melville
Deputy Chief Operating Officer Immigration
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
