2018-Mar 29: Statutory Complaints from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Privacy Commissioner and other commissioners

Visa Pak 350 - Advice for staff about where to refer Statutory Complaints from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Privacy Commissioner and other commissioners.

Visa Paks

29 March 2018

Statutory Complaints from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Privacy Commissioner and other commissioners

The Complaints and Solutions Team (CAST), sitting within Immigration Resolutions, are responsible for analysing and providing responses to statutory complaints from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Privacy Commissioner and other commissioners.  The relevant immigration instructions are at A9.5 Commissioners and INZ, A9.10 The Ombudsman Act 1975, and A9.15 Privacy Act 1993.

Correspondence or enquiries regarding complaint investigations

Any correspondence or queries regarding an investigation (following a complaint from the Office of the Ombudsman or the Privacy or other commissioners) must be referred to Immigration Resolutions for response.  No other staff should be corresponding on these matters.  This applies to any approach by investigators from the Office of the Ombudsman, Privacy Commissioner or other commissioners.

If you are contacted by a client, a representative, or investigator regarding this type of investigation contact the Resolutions Analyst named on the relevant AMS file or warning, or alternatively the Technical Advisor or Team Leader for CAST.

See A9.5.1 Enquiries relating to investigations by commissioners.

Guidelines for withholding information

Information contained in any communication between the Office of the Ombudsman and Immigration New Zealand (INZ), or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and INZ relating to any investigation under the Ombudsmen Act 1975, the Official Information Act 1982 or the Privacy Act 1993 is excluded from disclosure under the Official Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 1993.

See the Official Information Act 1982 s2(1)(i) and (j) and the Privacy Act s55(d) and (e).