As an example of how poorly-organised INZ are at the moment, just a day after I was told to use the Employment Visa Escalation process for getting urgent applications processed for essential workers, they have now put in place a request form:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/form...to-new-zealand.
The INZ website also says this:
"If you are not a New Zealand citizen or resident but are eligible to travel to New Zealand by meeting one of the exceptional circumstances described above, you can make a request to Immigration New Zealand. You can make a request if you already have a New Zealand visa, if you have submitted an application for a visa, or if you do not have a visa.An immigration officer will assess your request. If they are satisfied that you are eligible to travel to New Zealand they will contact you with information about what to do. We understand that there may be some urgency around your situation. As we are dealing with high numbers of requests for assistance we are currently aiming to respond within two working days, however this timeframe may be longer depending on enquiry volumes and the complexity of requests we receive.
Before submitting a request, consider the availability of flights to New Zealand and travel restrictions for any country you may need to transit on the way to New Zealand."