Effective from 21 November 2011, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is changing its process for determining off-shore temporary entry applications.

We will no longer be obliged to seek comment or additional information from applicants if their application is likely to result in a decline decision. In the past, INZ would always seek comment from applicants if we believed that the application would likely result in a decline decision. Now this will not be the case.

INZ is only obliged to contact an applicant if a decline decision is to be based on potentially prejudicial information (PPI). PPI is information that:

• was not obtained from the applicant
• is not publicly available
• will adversely affect the outcome of the application
• the applicant has not previously had the chance to comment on.

If the information we base a decline decision on does not meet the definition of PPI above, then we are not obliged to contact the applicant and may decline the application without seeking any further information or comment.

What this means for applicants

This means that it is extremely important for you to provide as much of the information/documentation that we request in our checklists with your original application. Failure to do so may result in a decline decision without you being given the opportunity to provide more information.