Immigration New Zealand is changing the way it works, to provide better customer service and better immigration outcomes.
The changes are under way, and will be complete by the end of 2015. They will lead to:
For more explanation, see: Immigration New Zealand's Vision 2015: What it means for you.
Read the Immigration Minister’s speech and statement launching the change programme, known as Vision 2015.
A new technology platform - Immigration ONLINE - will make the changes possible.
Immigration ONLINE will transform visa services. Customers will have their own online accounts, so they can apply for visas, communicate with Immigration New Zealand and track progress of their applications.
Immigration ONLINE will strengthen border security with modern identity management systems using biometrics (information that uniquely distinguishes one person from another), along with stronger intelligence and risk systems, and secure data sharing with our international partners on criminality and immigration fraud.
Privacy protection is central to the design of Immigration ONLINE. The service will allow information-sharing with other organisations that need to see it, but no personal information will be shared unless authorised by the user.
Immigration ONLINE will be introduced progressively, starting in 2013 and finishing in 2015. The first major delivery will be online applications for student work visas and some temporary work visas, in late 2013.
For more explanation, see: Immigration ONLINE roll-out.
The changes involve reconfiguring Immigration New Zealand’s world-wide network of branches. The overall aim is to maintain or expand customer services while also consolidating back-office visa decision-making into a few large area (“hub”) offices and some smaller market (“satellite”) offices.
Immigration New Zealand will continue setting up Visa Application Centres (VACs) – these “front door” offices handle administrative, non-decision making tasks around visa applications on behalf of Immigration New Zealand. VACs already operate in 15 countries and in the Pacific region. See the full list of VAC locations.
Taken together, these changes will speed up visa processing and improve the consistency of decisions, while retaining a visible presence in key markets.
They will also allow Immigration New Zealand to be more responsive to changing conditions, stepping its presence up or down in different markets world-wide as needed.
For more explanation, see: Global business changes - reconfiguring the branch network.
