2016-Sep 30: Transfer of Family Residence applications onshore from London Area Office

Visa Pak 279 - Advice for staff about Residence applications being transferred onshore from London Area office.

Visa Paks

30 September 2016

Transfer of Family Residence applications onshore from London Area Office

Following the update on the work being done to bring the New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP) processing onshore, this advice to staff is to provide further information in regard to the transfer of Family Residence applications onshore from the London Area Office.

All unallocated Family Residence applications (including both capped and uncapped categories) will be transferred onshore from the London Area Office as of 10 October 2016. Applications where there is a licensed immigration adviser (LIA) or lawyer acting for the client will be transferred to the Henderson Area Office for processing, and applications where there is no LIA/lawyer involved will be sent to the Manukau Area Office for processing.

Uncapped Family Residence applications (Partnership, Dependent Children) which are currently being processed by an immigration officer will continue to be processed in the London Area Office until a decision made. However, all capped applications (Parent) – including those currently being assessed by an immigration officer – will be transferred onshore as of 10 October 2016.

As of 10 October 2016, all new applications for residence under the Family Residence stream will no longer be sent to the Visa Application Centre (VAC) in London, but will be sent directly to and lodged at the Northern Area Documentation Office (NADO). There will be a grace period for the VAC in London to receive Family Residence applications until 17 October 2016.

When applications are approved, the immigration officer will be required to advise the client of the nearest VAC they can send their passport to for their label to be issued. Operations Managers (OMs) are required to inform their respective VACs about this change and possible receipt of passports from clients residing offshore who need their label to be issued by an offshore INZ office. Please ensure staff follow the Standard Operating Procedure for label issuing in another office.