Potentially Prejudicial Information (PPI)

Has Immigration New Zealand (INZ) sent you a PPI letter? This means the immigration officer handling your application has found some items in your visa application that may hurt the outcome of your case and needs more information to proceed. It is crucial to respond with the requested information quickly.

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The immigration officer processing your New Zealand visa application will issue a PPI letter if he/she comes across something in your case that needs clarification or evidence.

Why does INZ send out Potentially Prejudicial Information letters?

INZ is not allowed to deny you a visa when they come across a “potentially prejudicial information” – they are required to be “fair” and deliver “natural justice”.
Various reasons may trigger a PPI letter – the immigration officer may require you to respond to the PPI letter with:
  • Evidence to prove various aspects of your employment, in case of work visa applications
  • Proof of relationship for family based Visas
  • More information to verify the legitimacy of the supporting documents submitted with the application
  • Clarification about your Health Issues or Character Issues
  • Documentation establishing the purpose of your visit and fitment to the category of NZ visa you have applied for
There could be many other reasons why you could be getting a Potentially Prejudicial Information letter – one thing is for sure, not responding quickly or not replying at all will automatically lead to rejection of your visa.
Also, note that receiving a PPI letter does not mean your case has been rejected – it means you still have the opportunity to set things straight. Do not waste this chance to revive your New Zealand visa application. Contact our Auckland-based team of experienced immigration advisers – book a completely free consultation session to see how we can help.

How is PPI defined?

The definition of Potentially Prejudicial Information adopted by INZ for onshore and offshore applications is not the same.

PPI definition for Onshore Applications

If you are inside New Zealand, PPI means any material, information or data that may hurt the outcome of your case.

PPI definition for Offshore Applications

If you are outside New Zealand, PPI is defined more narrowly. In such cases, PPI refers to the following kind of material, information or data:
  • It may hurt your case, and
  • It is not in the public domain, and
  • You have not had an opportunity to respond to it, and
  • INZ did not get it directly from you or a channel authorized by you
The narrowed down definition of PPI in the case of offshore applications means that you are not on the same footing as onshore applicants when it comes to getting an opportunity to take care of issues spotted by the immigration officer.
This is scary – it means the INZ may reject your visa application for something minor, and you may not even have an opportunity to fix things while you could.

Now that you have received the PPI letter, what should you do?

The whole purpose of you receiving a PPI letter is to provide you with an opportunity to respond to a “potential issue” related to your visa application. So, you must take care of this “issue” to convince the INZ to move ahead with processing your application.
Not replying at all or not responding correctly is likely to result in the denial of your visa. If you are already in New Zealand, you will be liable for deportation once your visa is cancelled. The PPI response must be crafted to include relevant immigration law references and enough evidence, all presented clearly to convince the immigration officer.
Immigration Advisers NZ hires the best immigration talent in the industry. Our licensed immigration consultants are experienced in working with the most complicated cases. Book an absolutely free consultation with our immigration team and let us help you create an effective response to your PPI letter.