Kia ora P. Peach,
 
On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment I
acknowledge your email of 28/03/2026 requesting, under the Official
Information Act 1982, the following:
 
I am requesting the following information under the Official Information
Act 1982 relating to subcontracting practices and NAATI credential
compliance within interpreting and translation services procured by
Immigration New Zealand (a branch of the Ministry of Business, Innovation
and Employment).

SECTION A: SUBCONTRACTING ARRANGEMENTS

1. Whether Immigration New Zealand's interpreting and translation
providers are permitted to subcontract assignments to third parties,
including overseas-based agencies or individual contractors located
outside New Zealand.

2. Any conditions or restrictions in Immigration New Zealand's contracts
with interpreting and translation providers regarding the use of
subcontractors, including any requirements that subcontractors be based in
New Zealand or hold an appropriate New Zealand work visa.

3. Whether Immigration New Zealand requires providers to disclose the
identity, location, or credentials of individual interpreters or
translators — including subcontractors — who carry out assignments on
Immigration New Zealand's behalf.

4. Whether Immigration New Zealand has any knowledge of, or has sought
information about, assignments being routed to interpreters or translators
located outside New Zealand.

5. Any instances where Immigration New Zealand became aware that an
assignment was conducted by a person located outside New Zealand or by an
uncredentialled subcontractor, and any action taken as a result.

SECTION B: NAATI CREDENTIAL COMPLIANCE

6. What mechanism, if any, Immigration New Zealand uses to verify that
individual interpreters and translators carrying out assignments on its
behalf — including those engaged through subcontracting arrangements —
hold a valid NAATI credential or Working Towards NAATI (WTN) status.

7. Whether Immigration New Zealand requires its interpreting and
translation providers to maintain and supply a current register of
credentialled practitioners working under its contracts, and if so whether
Immigration New Zealand has received and reviewed such registers.

8. Any audits, spot checks, or compliance reviews conducted by Immigration
New Zealand on its interpreting and translation providers since 1 July
2024 to verify NAATI credential compliance, including the methodology and
findings of any such reviews.

9. Any instances since 1 July 2024 where a provider was found to have used
an interpreter or translator who did not hold the required NAATI
credential or Working Towards NAATI (WTN) status, and any consequences or
remedial action taken.

10. Any complaints received by Immigration New Zealand since 1 July 2024
from staff, applicants, or members of the public regarding the
qualifications or conduct of an interpreter or translator engaged through
Immigration New Zealand's services.

SECTION C: INTERPRETER AND TRANSLATOR PAY VISIBILITY

11. Whether Immigration New Zealand has any information about the rates or
fees paid by its providers to individual interpreters or translators for
assignments conducted on Immigration New Zealand's behalf.

12. Whether Immigration New Zealand has ever sought, as part of contract
negotiations, tendering processes, or performance reviews, any information
about the pay or working conditions of interpreters or translators engaged
through its provider contracts.

13. Any internal policies, briefings, risk assessments, or correspondence
within Immigration New Zealand regarding the fair remuneration or
employment conditions of interpreters and translators working under its
contracts, including any concerns raised about the margin between rates
paid to providers and rates passed on to practitioners.

14. Whether Immigration New Zealand's tendering or procurement criteria
for interpreting and translation services include any consideration of
whether providers pay practitioners at or above a minimum rate, living
wage, or industry standard.
 
We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no
later than 29/04/2026, 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

Visible links
1. mailto:[MBIE request email]

Kia ora P. Peach
 
This letter is to advise you that your request has been transferred to the
Ministry for Ethnic Communities under Section 14(b)(ii) of the Act allows
me to transfer any request that is believed to be more closely aligned
with the functions of another department, organisation or Minister of the
Crown.
 

Nāku noa, nā

 

Edward

 

MINISTERIAL SERVICES

Immigration New Zealand

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

15 Stout Street, PO BOX 1473, Wellington 6140

Good afternoon,

Please see the attached response to your OIA request.

Ngā mihi,

 

Ministerial Services

Te Tari Mātāwaka | Ministry for Ethnic Communities

155 The Terrace | PO Box 805, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

[1]www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz | [2]Facebook | [3]LinkedIn

------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: [4][FOI #34281 email]; 
Received: Sat Mar 28 2026 21:54:16 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: OIA <[5][MBIE request email]>; 
Subject: Official Information request - NAATI credential compliance and
subcontracting practices in Immigration New Zealand interpreting and
translation services

[Some people who received this message don't often get email from
[6][FOI #34281 email]. Learn why this is
important at [7]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Tēnā koutou,

I am requesting the following information under the Official Information
Act 1982 relating to subcontracting practices and NAATI credential
compliance within interpreting and translation services procured by
Immigration New Zealand (a branch of the Ministry of Business, Innovation
and Employment).

SECTION A: SUBCONTRACTING ARRANGEMENTS

1. Whether Immigration New Zealand's interpreting and translation
providers are permitted to subcontract assignments to third parties,
including overseas-based agencies or individual contractors located
outside New Zealand.

2. Any conditions or restrictions in Immigration New Zealand's contracts
with interpreting and translation providers regarding the use of
subcontractors, including any requirements that subcontractors be based in
New Zealand or hold an appropriate New Zealand work visa.

3. Whether Immigration New Zealand requires providers to disclose the
identity, location, or credentials of individual interpreters or
translators — including subcontractors — who carry out assignments on
Immigration New Zealand's behalf.

4. Whether Immigration New Zealand has any knowledge of, or has sought
information about, assignments being routed to interpreters or translators
located outside New Zealand.

5. Any instances where Immigration New Zealand became aware that an
assignment was conducted by a person located outside New Zealand or by an
uncredentialled subcontractor, and any action taken as a result.

SECTION B: NAATI CREDENTIAL COMPLIANCE

6. What mechanism, if any, Immigration New Zealand uses to verify that
individual interpreters and translators carrying out assignments on its
behalf — including those engaged through subcontracting arrangements —
hold a valid NAATI credential or Working Towards NAATI (WTN) status.

7. Whether Immigration New Zealand requires its interpreting and
translation providers to maintain and supply a current register of
credentialled practitioners working under its contracts, and if so whether
Immigration New Zealand has received and reviewed such registers.

8. Any audits, spot checks, or compliance reviews conducted by Immigration
New Zealand on its interpreting and translation providers since 1 July
2024 to verify NAATI credential compliance, including the methodology and
findings of any such reviews.

9. Any instances since 1 July 2024 where a provider was found to have used
an interpreter or translator who did not hold the required NAATI
credential or Working Towards NAATI (WTN) status, and any consequences or
remedial action taken.

10. Any complaints received by Immigration New Zealand since 1 July 2024
from staff, applicants, or members of the public regarding the
qualifications or conduct of an interpreter or translator engaged through
Immigration New Zealand's services.

SECTION C: INTERPRETER AND TRANSLATOR PAY VISIBILITY

11. Whether Immigration New Zealand has any information about the rates or
fees paid by its providers to individual interpreters or translators for
assignments conducted on Immigration New Zealand's behalf.

12. Whether Immigration New Zealand has ever sought, as part of contract
negotiations, tendering processes, or performance reviews, any information
about the pay or working conditions of interpreters or translators engaged
through its provider contracts.

13. Any internal policies, briefings, risk assessments, or correspondence
within Immigration New Zealand regarding the fair remuneration or
employment conditions of interpreters and translators working under its
contracts, including any concerns raised about the margin between rates
paid to providers and rates passed on to practitioners.

14. Whether Immigration New Zealand's tendering or procurement criteria
for interpreting and translation services include any consideration of
whether providers pay practitioners at or above a minimum rate, living
wage, or industry standard.

If any part of this request is refused, please:
- Identify the specific OIA provision relied upon for each withholding;
- Consider whether the public interest in transparency around publicly
funded services and the fair treatment of workers outweighs any commercial
sensitivity; and
- Release any information that can be made available in redacted or
aggregated form.

I am happy to receive this information in electronic format.

Ngā mihi

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References

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