In a letter addressed to the Public Services Commissioner, Little wrote concerns were raised with him in relation to INZ, “specifically about the operation of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme.”

Minister Little believes the scheme is potentially resulting in opportunities for misuse and exploitation by third parties.

“It is critical that New Zealanders have trust and confidence in the scheme and its administration,” he wrote. 

“These are serious concerns.”

In his letter, Little called for a review covering both the Employer Accreditation process and the Job Check process of the AEWV scheme. He wants this to take place as “soon as practicable”.

This includes thorough checks of service delivery performance, operational decision-making and resourcing and capability.

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Little addressed his concerns, stating he needs assurance that rules for processing are “being done thoroughly.”

“An anonymous piece of correspondence I received late on Tuesday night made some allegations about some specific parts of the processing of those visas,” he said, adding he needs assurance “allegations in the letter are investigated”.

“There was enough in the letter that led me to believe that it was important and that I assure myself that the rules for processing those, particularly the employer accreditation applications, are being done thoroughly,” he stressed.

Little said he expects the Public Service Commission to find an appropriate person to review it.

“The profile of the person I expect to review it would be someone along the lines of a former senior public servant who is used to managing a large organisation and high-value processes,” he said.

“It’s about making sure the checks that have to take place are actually happening.”

According to Little, if the reviewer discovered any issues with either the standing operating procedures or any underlying policies, then their mandate would be to point those out.