2012-Apr 27: Branch warning and alerts

Visa Pak 62 - Reminder to staff about ensuring they check branch warning and alerts and contact the author to clarify the information if required.

Visa Paks

27 April 2012

There have been cases recently where Immigration Officers have granted visas to clients who have been served with a Deportation Liability Notice (DLN).

Clients who have been served a DLN will have either a warning or alert placed on their AMS record. It is important that Immigration Officers take note of the warning or alert and follow the instructions in IAC 10/01.

IAC 10/01 Step 1 instructs Immigration Officers that if the client border alert, client branch warning or travel document alert is unclear or an investigation is ongoing (e.g. with Fraud, Border and Compliance Operations or Central Verification Unit), the Immigration Officer should contact the author of the client border alert, client branch warning or travel document alert (or the relevant BM if the author is no longer employed by INZ) to clarify the information.

There are instances where a client has an active client branch warning stating that the client has been served with a DLN and the Immigration Officer is not contacting the Compliance Officer to discuss before issuing the visa. The requirement to consider the warning or alert applies whether or not the client has already been issued a visa following the DLN service.

If a client who has been served a DLN leaves New Zealand then they may be considered to have self-deported and if so will be subject to a period of prohibition. If the client who has a DLN travels – they could be prevented from re-entering New Zealand even if they have a visa granted before they left.

When an Immigration Officer grants a visa to a client to whom a DLN has been served, it does not automatically cancel the DLN. Further visa applications should be considered in consultation with Compliance staff.

Please remind all Immigration Officers to contact Compliance staff when considering approving applications if the client is subject to a DLN.