10 June 2026
J M
[FYI request #34049 email]
DOIA-REQ-0029240
Tēnā koe J M
Thank you for your email of 12 March 2026 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:
Please provide all information, internal records, and communications held by Immigration New
Zealand from 1 January 2015 to the present regarding the following:
1. OCBC QDII Product Assessments & Multi-Party Communications
All records concerning the eligibility and compliance of OCBC QDII Products. This request is for
all forms of information, including but not limited to:
• Internal Records: All internal assessments, technical guidance, briefing papers, or file
notes evaluating the QDII products.
• External Communications: All correspondence (emails, letters, meeting minutes, or
written records of discussions) between INZ and any third party (including but not limited to
financial institutions, legal firms, tax advisors, or consultants) regarding the QDII products.
• Policy Determinations: Any internal "Technical Discussion" records or "Policy Advice"
regarding the QDII products.
2. Key Approval Milestones & Precedents
The decision records (including internal file notes and reasoning) and any specific conditions
attached to approvals where OCBC QDII products were used as the nominated investment.
Please redact personal identifiers under s9(2)(a):
• First Approval (around 2018): The date and anonymized details of the first visa
application approved (under Investor 1 or 2 categories / Parent Retirement Resident visa)
where the investment was an OCBC QDII.
• First Approval (under RV2.5.10): The date and anonymized details of the first visa
application approved under the RV2.5.10 framework where the investment was an OCBC QDII.
3. Internal Instructions & Consistency of Treatment
Any records detailing any internal shift in position, moratorium, or revised interpretation by
INZ regarding the acceptability of OCBC QDII products.
On 13 April 2026, we extended the time limit of the request under section 15A(1)(a) as the request is
for a large quantity of official information and necessitates a search through a large quantity of
information. We apologise for the delay in releasing this OIA response.
Our Response
Question 1 and 3:
The request for OCBC QDII internal documentation and policy determinations has been withheld in
full under section 6(a) of the Act as making the information available would be likely to prejudice the
security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government of New Zealand.
Please refer to Appendix A for OCBC QDII assessment templates.
Regarding your request for external communications, a search through our records show 1,229 emails
containing the words “OCBC QDII”. Due to the time required to manually search through each of these
items, we have withheld this part of the request under section 15A(1)(a) due to substantial collation.
This task would remove Ministry staff from their core duties and therefore the greater public interest
would not be served. I have considered whether the Ministry would be able to respond to your request
given extra time or the ability to charge for the information requested but I have concluded, in both
cases, the Ministry’s ability to undertake its work would still be prejudiced.
Question 2:
Please refer to Appendix B for your request for key approval milestones and precedents for the first
approval including RV2.5.20 where the primary investment was an OCBC QDII product. The key
documents include:
• Assessment of application
• Assessment of transfer and investment of funds to New Zealand
• Two-year anniversary assessment
• Permanent Resident Visa assessment
Please be advised that additional information has been withheld under the following sections of the
act:
• 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons.
• 9(2)(b)(ii) as making this information available would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the
commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.
• 9(2)(h) to maintain legal professional privilege.
I do not consider that the withholding of this information is outweighed by public interest
considerations in making the information available.
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
Deputy Chief Operating Officer Immigration
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
