Acknowledgement of your Official Information Request (Ref: REQ-0034682) CRM:0257512

Kia ora Tracy Lynch,

On behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment 

I acknowledge your email of 12/06/2026 requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982, the following:

Response DOIA-REQ-0032954

To narrow the request, please treat this as a revised/new OIA request if required under s 15(1AA).

 I am no longer seeking broad records about biometric systems, digital identity, or interoperability arrangements.

Please provide existing statistical information only, broken down by year for 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 year-to-date, where available:

The number of people approved to enter New Zealand as migrants or visa holders.

The number approved on work visas of two years or less.

A nationality/citizenship breakdown for those approvals.

The number of people refused entry, declined, or turned back on security-risk grounds, if recorded.

The number of New Zealand citizens recorded as leaving New Zealand permanently or long-term.

Any annual net balance figure MBIE holds comparing immigration arrivals/approvals against permanent or long-term departures.

I am seeking summary statistical tables or existing datasets only.

 I am not asking MBIE to create new analysis, search individual case files, or provide personal information.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible, and no later than 13/07/2026, being 20 working days after the day your request was received. 

If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe. If you have any enquiries regarding your request feel free to contact us via email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>.

Nāku noa, nā

Ministerial Services

Strategy and Assurance
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

15 Stout Street, Wellington 6011 |  P O Box 1473 Wellington 6140
[cid:[email protected]]