Processing times clarification

[parpalhou]

Hi there,

Does anyone know when the expected processing times published on the INZ website are counted from? Is it the date received at an INZ branch, the day it's lodged, or the day a CO is assigned? Thanks.

[Nelson81]

Hi.

Would say is starting counting when the acknowledge email is received.
(this is my personal thought)

[lovelife95]

Agreed with Nelson81 however this post has got me thinking perhaps not? Just stumbled upon this post on this forum (you have to be logged in to see it):

https://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55463

"Every case takes as long as it takes, and/but a lot of the time passing is spent by your file waiting its turn for a CO's attention. For the first part of your wait, evidently it had not reached the front of the queue to be allocated to a CO for any work at all to be done at New Delhi - so that part of the time since it was lodged isn't time spent processing your application."

Does this mean the waiting time for allocation does not count in the processing time? Perhaps JandM can confirm.

[JandM]

You're hoping to pin INZ processes down to wording from their website which is, I'm sure, only MEANT to be vague and to pacify applicants. As I've also posted many times, NO mention of timing from INZ, whether on their website or from one of their officials, can EVER be taken to be a promise. It's only ever a vague estimate based on recent averages. And right now, with the organization's poor workers battling their way through a chaotic reorganization, as well as coping with an unexpected sudden flood of applications at the end of last year, there are numerous backlogs, so what used to be "normal" has gone, for now. I think all they can truthfully say is, 'We'll get to it sometime.'

[parpalhou]

Not trying to pin it down, just wondering what they're basing the published numbers on, as it is based on *something*. I realise there is no obligation on their part, but they do give a vague idea of current processing times (by saying 75% are done by x time, 90% by y time, etc), so I'm just wondering how they define "processing time".

[RPNZ]

I assume the prepossessing time is based on the pattern of the previous year/s statistics.
I wonder, are they monitoring the abnormal prepossessing times for applications.
For example, if a SMC application takes more than 12 month, the manager of the case officer attend to the case and explain the situation to the applicant rather than a generic response to an update inquiry like no further update since last communication.
We thoroughly understand that processioning time depends on so many factors but the thing is the INZ needs to process the current applications as well as needs to plan a strategy to predict the future volume of applications.
The sequence of the process may need to be reviewed, also some steps can be processed simultaneously rather than serial.
Using the technology is helpful to improve the monitoring system to achieve the normal processing time.

[JandM]

In an ideal world for would-be migrants, yes. But I don't think the NZ government are giving INZ priority for resources at the moment. They are politicians, and there are internal political reasons for many of them behind the changes in regulations last year which led to fewer visas being granted. And foreigners wanting visas don't have votes.

[desilva]

In an ideal world for would-be migrants, yes. But I don't think the NZ government are giving INZ priority for resources at the moment. They are politicians, and there are internal political reasons for many of them behind the changes in regulations last year which led to fewer visas being granted. And foreigners wanting visas don't have votes.

makes an absolute sense. because during the previous government immigration and visa process was more faster and efficient.

[EGoodhue]

Hi there,

Does anyone know when the expected processing times published on the INZ website are counted from? Is it the date received at an INZ branch, the day it's lodged, or the day a CO is assigned? Thanks.

These stats are taken from the lodgement date (which technically should be the same as the 'received at INZ' date, but due to backlogs these dates are actually currently different - but the lodgement is always back-dated to the date received by the lodging Officer, so on the system the dates are the same). So the "processing time" quoted also includes the loooooong waiting times being experienced. The actual processing of an SMC application, for instance, can be done in 6-8 weeks....it's the queueing time that results in the horrendous "processing time".

[parpalhou]

These stats are taken from the lodgement date (which technically should be the same as the 'received at INZ' date, but due to backlogs these dates are actually currently different - but the lodgement is always back-dated to the date received by the lodging Officer, so on the system the dates are the same). So the "processing time" quoted also includes the loooooong waiting times being experienced. The actual processing of an SMC application, for instance, can be done in 6-8 weeks....it's the queueing time that results in the horrendous "processing time".

Thanks, EGoodhue, that's helpful!