Immigration NZ makes changes to how Pacific offices are run

Transcript

REX HEESTERMAN: Immigration New Zealand is currently attempting to improve its systems and we are moving to a more online services model and I think one of the biggest benefits would be that if we could get the registration process into some form of online application system that would be very beneficial to both us and the people that are applying. There's a lot of work that's been going on in recent years with our relationship managers who work with New Zealand based employers who are seeking employees. There is a lot of work going on in that area so we have quite an increasing number of employers who travel to the Pacific and interview and offer employment to those selected from the ballot this year. And currently we are working on pre  information distribution and provide as much information up front as to what living in New Zealand is actually like and what the differences are in terms of our systems and cultures I guess. It is trying to not preclude people from applying but giving them information so that they know. There is a bit of a mystique about it all , or I do not know the exact word, but people think that New Zealand basically is like the land of milk and honey and of course it is not like that. The costs of living in NZ are completely different than those back home in the Pacific and so there's a bit of work in that area as well.

SARA VUI-TALITU: Can I just clarify Rex the process still from start to finish? So you apply, no guarantees but then your number has to be drawn right?

RH: Yes two parts really. The registration for the ballot that is the one that opens on 1 April each year and in order to qualify for the registration you have got to be aged between 18 and 45 and you got to be born either in one of those countries or overseas but to parents of citizens of one of the participating countries. That registration then goes into a ballot and its completely automatic and no interference whatsoever by human hand and the computer system selects the numbers that we are looking for. Once thats happened we then advertise those and then interview each person and conduct an English language test to make sure they are conversant in English and we give them an application pack and invite them to apply for residence and we give them an application pack and invite them to apply for residence and residence applications have a cut off date which is normally 8 months after we invite them to apply.  

SV: Oh right. So when everything works and checks out and boxes are ticked they come to NZ and are on what is a residency visa?

RH:They get permanent residence on arrival. So what we actually issue once they apply for a residency visa and we assess them and approve it they are issued with residence visas and on arrival are given a residence visa stamp.

SV: Once they get here to NZ do you check in with them again? Or do you just move on to the next round.

RH: There has been some communication interaction post arrival and I think it is something immigration NZ is looking more and more into doing that and testing the success factors,  but by and large from my perspective is the visa processing arm. Once we stamp them up our involvement is finished and if you are successful we wrap support around you and do our best we can to process the application quickly.