Security and privacy
The security and privacy of your personal information is important to us. The system will allow information to be shared securely with other organisations online, subject to authorisation from users, who will also be able to review and update their own online data.
The system is secure
Immigration New Zealand has engaged external online security experts to provide quality assurance, and the project has built in security considerations throughout the design, build and deployment. Applicants and third parties such as immigration agents and education institutions require a RealMe logon to gain access to Immigration Online.
RealMe is the Government’s online identity verification service - it’s the secure way for New Zealanders to access services and prove their identity online. Once access is granted, there is a further layer of security that determines what the logged-in user can see and do.
Your privacy is protected
Protecting client privacy is a key Immigration Online design principle. Immigration Online collects and uses the same sort of information that INZ currently collects from clients on paper application forms. The difference with Immigration Online is that information collected is securely stored electronically rather than on paper.
Immigration New Zealand carries out an ongoing comprehensive Privacy Impact Assessment of all parts of Immigration Online to ensure ‘privacy by design’ remains a core feature of the new system. The system uses biometrics – that is, information that uniquely distinguishes one person from another, such as photographs and fingerprints. Security features built into the system protects against unauthorised users accessing information that would compromise personal privacy.
The information submitted as part of an application is only viewable to the submitter and INZ. However, applications may be shared with other users of the system by those who have authorised access, who will then have visibility of information submitted as part of the application. This sharing requires multiple-factor authentication to prevent the release of private information.