“bakit may mabilis maapprove, merong matagal?”

Dear Kuya Noel : sabay-sabay kaming nag-apply ng One-Off Resident Visa na tanging pag-asa namin maPR dito sa New Zealand. May mga nauna na sa amin, wala pang anim na linggo pa lang ay approved na. Kami naman ay pang-apat na buwan at di pa nakakatanggap ng positive news. Bakit kaya?

Salamat, Naldz

***** ***** *****

Dear Naldz,

Unang-una, di ako immigration adviser na aasahan mo ng maganda at mapapakinabangang payo. Lahat ng nandito ay haka-haka lamang at galing sa sarili kong karanasan. Hayaan mo na lang akong magbigay ng opinion ko.

SA POTENTIAL NA 200,000 kataong applicant sa One-Off Resident Visa pathway na binuksan ng gobyernong New Zealand nung mga huling buwan ng 2021, mahigit kumulang na 41,000 ang mga na-approve o nabigyan ng bagong simulang mamuhay sa bansang New Zealand.

[Out of a potential 200,000 applicants under the One-Off Resident Visa pathway opened by the New Zealand Government late 2021, approximately 41,000 have become permanent residents and given a new beginning in New Zealand.]

Iba-iba ang mga pananaw kung gaano kabilis gumalaw o mag-process ng mga application: may mga nagsabing usad-pagong ito dahil sa kung ano-anong mga dahilan, may mga nagsabing dahil handa ng NZ Government sa agos ng mga libu-libong application, dali-dali itong tatanggapin at aasikasuhin para wala nang backlog o trabahong di natapos bago mag-eleksyon na paglalabanan ng mga partidong Labour at National.

[Opinions differ on the speed of the processing of the applications, some have said that it’s too slow for various reasons, others have said that because Government has anticipated the large volumes of applications, the latter will be processed and decided on at a high rate to avoid backlogs, hopefully before the next national elections. ]

The only feedback I can give to you Precious Reader regarding probably the biggest event in recent NZ migrant history is the little I hear and read about, and that’s not much. Personal experience, hearsay and word-of-mouth are limited in information value in the bigger scheme of things, but it’s better than nothing.

Some applicants have had the best surprise of their lives, becoming permanent residents three to six months after submitting their applications. Some of these successful applicants have used the settlement option, under which permanent resident status (PR) is granted to temporary visa holders who’ve stayed in New Zealand for at least three years legally. others have been awarded the prized PR based on their income and skills, supported by strict documentary and related evidence.

More than half of the total number of applicants however have remained waiting while their applications continue to be assessed or information is gathered on their cases. There seems to be no noticeable difference between applications approved early and those still pending.

So as we asked above earlier: Bakit may mabilis ma-approve, may di agad naapprove?

Staffing problem. Malaking binawas ng empleyado ng Immigration New Zealand, ang ahensya na nag-pa process at nag-a approve ng mga application. sa libo-libong applications na sina submit sa IMmigration NZ araw-araw, 658 lang ang tumatanggap nito. information gathering, assessment at decision making ang mga masalimuot at matrabahong steps o hakbang na ginagawa bago makapag issue ng visa, at di madaling matapos ang mga ito

We’re not defending the efficiency or lack of it when it comes to visa processing, but given all the current problems like the pandemic, staffing and others, Immigration NZ is probably doing its best.

I.T. / server problem. To process such a huge number of applicants, having a database and IT server to receive, process and store such a massive amount of data is indispensable. Without it, the entire execution of the One-Off policy would be set back by months if not years.

Early on when the One-Off Visa pathway was introduced, the system and more specifically the server managing access to applications and the massive data involved broke down and both applicants and Immigration NZ staff were unable to use and access the online system essential to processing operations.

Such a basic and important need for a service that would facilitate jobs needed for nation building (construction, health care and aged care) seemed to defy common sense and planning. Thankfully, the problem was fixed but time was lost in the meantime.

Sheer number of applicants. Because of the large numbers of applicants, there will be challenges resolving and processing all of these, as the bigger the amount, the greater the possibility of processing cases that require more time, information gathering and assessment.

It’s obvious that not every case will be the same, even though the principles behind the One Off policy have made it easier than usual for deserving applicants to get residency. But to avoid fraud, mistake and inadvertent approvals, rules need to be followed.

And that’s what’s taking more time, in many cases.

***** ***** *****

konting hintay na lang Naldo, aani ka rin sa pinunla mong pagod, hirap at pangarap.

Kuya Noel