Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,

In various recent advertisements for applicants to positions within the GCSB, the following minimum Citizenship requirement has been stated within the Position Descriptions, or supporting documentation:

Please Note: Employment in the NZIC requires candidates to have been a NZ citizen, or a citizen of UK, Canada, USA or Australia, for a least 10 years and be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret Special (TSS) security clearance.

While this requirement appears to set a comfortably high bar, it does present the potential situation that high quality applications could be purged on a technicality before being appropriately assessed (the technicality being that NZ Citizenship is a fee simple of $470 for many permanent residents).

Would you please confirm, given the requirement as stated above, that a United States citizen (of 10 years or more) who has lived in NZ for a week, - if appropriately skilled will have her/his application for a position processed to fruition, whereas a past citizen of Ireland/Germany/Paraguay etc who has held permanent residency in NZ for forty years, and citizenship within NZ for 9 years, and who is exceptionally skilled- will have their application purged without consideration.

Would you please provide copies of any documented advice, memoranda or policy ( or portion of) which specifically focuses on the minimum citizenship requirements for recruitment to functions within the GCSB or NZSIS, and any documented rationale for same.

If no such documented rationale exists, or to minimise workload, a brief but complete summary of same rationale/policy would suffice.

And thank you for the sterling work you and your colleagues no doubt do, in keeping NZ safe from foreign harms.

Yours faithfully,
Kilian O'Gorman