Information matching
We share the personal information you give us with other New Zealand government agencies.
Why we match information
We gather information on travellers and migrants who cross New Zealand’s borders. New Zealand government agencies other than Immigration New Zealand (INZ) need to verify and use the information. We share and match parts of it with them. It’s often called data matching, or information sharing.
Sharing information helps verify people’s rights to different government services. It helps to improve records in government databases by finding duplicates and reducing fraud.
The Privacy Commissioner monitors how we match information.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner
Agencies who may match identifying information with INZ
| Specified agency | Authorising legislation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Internal Affairs (Citizenship Branch) | Section 26A Citizenship Act 1977 (Schedule 4) |
To verify: - your New Zealand citizenship status - your entitlement to live in New Zealand. |
| Electoral Enrolment Centre | Section 263B Electoral Act 1993 | To identify disqualified voters who have registered as an elector. |
| Department of Internal Affairs (Births, Deaths and Marriages) | Section 78A and Schedule 1A of the Births, Deaths & Marriages Registration Act 1995 | To identify deceased holders of temporary visas. |
| Department of Corrections | Section 181 of the Corrections Act 2004 | Section 294 of the Immigration Act 2009 To identify offenders who may be liable to be deported. |
Agencies that we match information with will only have access to the information they are legally entitled to.
You can complain formally to the Privacy Commissioner if you believe that your personal information has been misused.
Information sharing explained on the Privacy Commissioner’s website