What do I do if I have a complaint?

If you are an Immigration New Zealand client or representative with a complaint about a matter handled by Immigration New Zealand, you will need to follow our Client Complaint Resolution Process. This process has two stages.

Stage 1

Direct your complaint to the manager of the branch where the matter was handled. The manager is responsible for addressing complaints directly.

Stage 2

If you are not satisfied with the branch manager’s response to your complaint you can then take it further by writing to the Deputy Chief Executive – Immigration.

How do I make a complaint to a branch manager?

Write to the Manager of the branch where the matter was handled. You should do this first regardless of whether the branch is an Immigration New Zealand office or a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade office.

How do I take a complaint to the Deputy Chief Executive stage?

If your complaint cannot be resolved at branch level, you can contact the Deputy Chief Executive - Immigration by post, fax or by email:

• Deputy Chief Executive – Immigration
Department of Labour
PO Box 3705
Wellington 6140
• Or by fax to 04 915 6278
• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Who will reply to me if my complaint goes to the second stage?

If your complaint is considered at the second stage you will usually get a reply from the senior manager responsible for the area where the branch or work group is located. If that manager has dealt with the complaint before, or they think it is necessary to escalate it, you will receive a reply from either the Deputy Chief Executive - Immigration or the Deputy Secretary – Legal.

What sort of information should I provide with my complaint?

To help us deal with complaints quickly, please provide the full name and relevant Client and/or Application number of the case the complaint is about.  If the client and application numbers are not known please provide full name(s), date(s) of birth and if possible passport number(s).

Please also provide a short, clear description of the reasons for the complaint together with any relevant supporting documents.

What kinds of things can I complain about?

A complaint might relate to any interaction between yourself and Immigration New Zealand. Often (but not always) complaints relate to issues around process (e.g. how you were treated or how long it took to deal with your case).

What if I am just not happy with the decision made in my case?

If you have had an application declined and you are not happy with that decision you should consider taking any avenue of appeal that you are entitled to rather than make a complaint.  For example, if you’ve been declined residence you can usually appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal.  If you have been declined a temporary visa you can ask for the decision to be reconsidered as long as you are in New Zealand lawfully.  You can find more information about these avenues of appeal in our Operational Manual (see instructions R5.55.5 and E7.35.1).

Why do we have a Client Complaint Resolution Process?

We have a Client Complaint Resolution Process so that clients have an accessible, straightforward avenue to seek resolution of a complaint about any interaction between Immigration New Zealand and its clients.

The process also enables us to:

• investigate and resolve problems within branches initially
• identify problems that we cannot fix directly at branch level, then fix them
• quickly endorse and support robust decisions.

What are the principles of the process?

We assess complaints in accordance with these principles:

• we acknowledge our mistakes and put them right if we can
• we will treat complaints with priority and give a timely response
• we will be fair
• we will try to see things from the client’s perspective and understand, and therefore address, why they think we were wrong
• we will not be defensive of existing decisions – we will take a genuine fresh look at the issues raised
• someone else – not the original decision maker – will look at the individual case on its own merits.

How long will it take, and what can a client who complains expect?

When we receive a complaint, we will:

• apply the principles outlined above
• send the client an acknowledgment within 2 working days
• respond to the complaint at the branch stage within 15 working days of receipt of the complaint by the branch.  A Branch Manager may extend this timeframe in complex cases and will keep the client informed
• respond to the complaint at the Deputy Chief Executive – Immigration stage within 20 working days of receipt of the complaint. The Deputy Chief Executive may extend this timeframe in complex cases and will direct Immigration New Zealand to keep the client informed
• make sure the response is subject to quality assurance for completeness and accuracy.

Please note that complaints involving multiple issues and/or the actions of multiple branches are likely to take longer to answer than the timeframes indicated above.

Client Complaint documents

Our entire Client Complaint Resolution Process and guidelines are available:

• Client Complaint Resolution Process [PDF 85KB]
• Guidelines for the Client Complaint Resolution Process [PDF 36KB]