RFSC update - NRRF 2014

1. RFSC update - NRRF 2014

2. Overview • Refugee Family Support Category (RFSC) • Key statistics • Invitation to Apply (ITA) • Update on Tier Two queue • RFSC sponsor accommodation undertaking • RFSC DVD • Immigration Profiling Branch (IPB) • Statistics • RFSC residence process and common issues • Accommodation plans • INZ medicals

3. RFSC – key statistics • 2013/2014 – 113 ITAs issued representing 457 individuals • 2013/2014 – 87 residence applications approved representing 334 individuals (84 Tier One / 250 Tier Two) • Total of 3112 people invited to apply for residence under RFSC and 1161 people approved residence

4. RFSC Tier one 2013/2014 • Registrations received – 91 (339 nominees) • ITA Issued – 41 (157 nominees) • Declined – 28 (99 nominees) • Withdrawn – 3 (14 nominees) • On hand – 50 (188 nominees)

5. RFSC Tier two 2013/2014 • Registrations Received – 10 (42 nominees) • ITA Issued – 72 (300 nominees) • Declined – 53 (241 nominees) • Withdrawn – 1 (4 nominees) • On hand– 407 (1900 nominees)

6. Common reasons for ITA decline • Sponsor does not meet tier one eligibility criteria as has immediate family in New Zealand or sponsor was not granted residence in New Zealand on the basis of refugee status • Applied under tier two and tier two is not currently open • Registered to sponsor a relative not included in list of approved relatives

7. Progress on tier two queue • In the three day opening period (17-19 April 2012) 763 tier two registrations representing 3372 nominees were received. As of 1 July 2014 there are 407 registrations representing 1900 nominees in tier two queue • No date set for re-opening of tier two • Comprehensive statistics about the RFSC are publically available on INZ website www.immigration.govt.nz– search “refugee”, click on “Refugee and Protection Unit”, click on Learn more about, and download statistics for the RFSC.

8. RFSC Sponsor accommodation undertaking • RFSC sponsors required to ensure that adequate accommodation for their relatives is available upon arrival in NZ and continues to be available during the first 24 months of relatives' residence in NZ • Undertaking is included to ensure relatives are not accommodated in overcrowded situations on/post arrival or without accommodation • Sponsors are not required to financially support relatives after arrival as with other family sponsorship categories • Accommodation questionnaire sent with ITA to help sponsors demonstrate to INZ that they have a realistic plan for accommodating relatives

9. RFSC Settlement DVD • Settlement DVD specific to approved RFSC migrants has been developed by INZ • Includes information on: laws in New Zealand, support services, jobs and money, health services, learning English and education, daily living and immigration and citizenship • Available to view on INZ website www.immigration.govt.nz search “refugee”, click on “Refugee and Protection Unit” – link to the DVD is at the bottom of the page • Currently only in English and plans to translate into most common RFSC languages in future

10. IPB’s role • IPB processes the following applications from nationals from the list of 25 countries • Work visas for asylum seekers onshore • Residence application for people granted refugee status now called refugee and protection • Residence applications under RFSC Tiers 1 & 2 • Not the only INZ branch to process RFSC • Only process 40% of all refugee related applications • Any other refugee related application that may be referred to the IPB

11. Statistics for IPB • 2013/2014 • Total of 122 decisions made on refugee related applications • 56 RFSC tiers 1 & 2 (214 people approved) • 42 Refugee & Protection • 24 Ministerial Directions • 107 approved and 15 declined ( approval rate of 88%) • 2012/2013 • Total of 110 decisions made on refugee related applications • 90 approved and 20 declined (approval rate of 82%)

12. Current on hand applications – IPB • Residence • RFSC tiers 1 and 2 – 67 • Refugee & Protection – 7 • Temporary • Work – 1 • Total on hand for the IPB including all other categories is for branch is currently 830. No managed queues for either residence or temporary.

13. Process for RFSC residence applications • Lodged at either onshore or offshore. Information on where to lodge your application can be found on the INZ website at www.immigration.govt.nz • checked to see that they meet acceptance criteria, accepted and receipted in AMS, assessed to whether they require referral • transferred to IPB in Wellington, applicant advised • Assessed against normal immigration instructions

14. Process for RFSC residence applications cont. • Assessed in more detail against character provisions depending on a number of triggers such as military background, associations with regimes, employment and/or education history etc. (only small number of applications) • All applications PPI’d if they do not meet instructions for approval on Reputation Risk grounds • Reputation Risk concerns put to client will come from open source material • Any decline letter gives the reasons

15. Common issues with RFSC Residence applications • Health issues • Fraudulent or non existent documentation • Some passports not recognised • Difficulty establishing family links • Identity difficult to establish – no documentation • Unrelated people included in application • Names, ages and quantity of family members often differ from sponsors original residence application • Customary adoptions – no documentation • National Security checks can delay a decision • Requests for additional information are often requested but not received which slows the assessment process.

16. What IPB considers when reviewing the RFSC sponsor accommodation plan • Inclusion of a realistic plan showing how sponsor is going to cover costs until relatives can be assessed for their own income support post arrival (which could be community support or plan to stay with someone in community who owns their own home etc.) • Sponsor’s current accommodation and whether it is privately owned or rented. • If rented, a written authority would normally be requested to confirm landlord agrees to the additional family member/s being housed there even temporarily

17. What IPB considers when reviewing the RFSC sponsor accommodation plan cont. • What support sponsor may have from other members of the community and community groups in terms of having a home available for when the family arrives • Sponsors financial position is also considered in situations where sponsor states they will obtain and fund a rental property for relatives. Is this realistic? • If approved, the application goes through a second person check to ensure all instructions have been met and the case officer has applied them correctly (includes a review of the accommodation plan to ensure consistency across all INZ officers)

18. INZ medicals • From August 2013 rules for RFSC medicals changed to allow medical to be undertaken and submitted at the end of the residence application process • Saves time and money for applicants in situation where application is unable to be unaccepted for non-medical reason • This change is included in ITA letter

19. Primary Contacts for IPB • Lisa Gould • Manager – Immigration Profiling Branch • Lisa.gould@mbie.govt.nz • Tel. 04-8965519 • Matt Burden • Manager – Temporary Team • Matt.burden@mbie.govt.nz • Tel. 04-8965526