NEW ZEALAND IMMIGRATION NEWS

New Zealand Immigration Officers are Amongst the Worlds Best

Monday, 13 October 2008

A State Services Commission report into the handling of immigration matters by the previous head of the New Zealand Immigration Service, released on 3 October, has commended Immigration Officers for their continued professionalism and integrity.

This report has confirmed "New Zealand's public sector is among the most trusted in the world", says State Services Minister David Parker. New Zealanders and the government have high expectations on the public servants to maintain high standards, and in most cases these standards were met.

Confidence in the Department of Labour, which is responsible for overseeing Immigration New Zealand, came under fire earlier this year amid scandal that the former head of the Service, Mary Anne Thompson, acted improperly to secure visas for her family. Following this, further issues of corruption within the service at the managerial level arose.

The State Services Commission report sets out a number of recommendations to be made by the Department, including the recommendation for the Department to create processes to ensure improper actions by Deputy Secretaries and other seniors are "fully and robustly investigated". In addition, guidelines on granting NZ visa waivers should be developed to assist in fair and consistent use of discretion across the Department.

The Department's Chief Executive is taking actions to in response to recommendations made in the report, which will assist in restoring confidence in the department and its service. The high professional standards maintained by the Immigration Service's officers would also help to build a strong foundation for the future of the Service, as State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie comments.

This is especially crucial as New Zealand's immigration system undergoes significant transformation through the Government's Immigration Change Programme. The Change Programme, which includes a review of the Immigration Act, the recent regulation of Immigration Advisers and service delivery changes, aims to create a world-class immigration service to attract migrants to New Zealand.

The findings of this report, alongside ongoing improvements to New Zealand's Immigration Service, can provide prospective migrants with confidence that their visa applications will be professionally handled by the New Zealand government, making it the process of migrating one step easier.

If you are interested in Visas to New Zealand or would like more information on Immigration to New Zealand, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you.