The doctor believes he has been singled out for stringent security checks because he was born in Iran. Photo: 123RF
Two doctors expecting a baby in August have been caught up in national security checks and face having to decide whether to emigrate.
The orthopaedic house officer, who did not want his name used, was born in Iran and has dual Canadian citizenship as he moved there when he was 14.
He and his New Zealand fiancee are junior doctors in a North Island hospital.
The 17-month wait for a partnership visa is almost double the time other couples they know experienced, he said.
"I have never had any criminal records, never joined any armies, have been in school all my life until a few months ago when I graduated. I was still singled out for this process.
"I have a high suspicion that this is only because I was born in Iran. My fiancee is finding this whole process incredibly stressful as she is a New Zealander - fifth generation - and worried that she and my unborn child may face being separated from me in the future if this visa is not sorted.
"I think this needs to get out there, that there are hard-working people in this country who get racially profiled with no reason."
While the government was trying to fast-track the arrival of overseas healthcare workers due to the staffing crisis, the couple could face having to move to Canada and become doctors there instead.
"What also baffles me in regards to the time that visa is taking to come through is that I have been in this country for the last five-and-a-half years as a medical student and now as a doctor. You would think that this is enough time for the government to see that I am an upstanding citizen and would only contribute to this country and healthcare system.
"In November, I was told we'd get an answer by the end of the month, then when I asked again I was informed they selected me for a different process, they haven't given us any reason.
"I did a little bit of research, what the national security process is. It basically says people who are involved with extremism, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, those sorts of things. For me, I don't understand why we were chosen for the check to begin with but even if we were, there's no clarity what the process is."
Another migrant, who asked not to be named, came through the Straight to Residency pathway of the immigration Green List in October but is also waiting for a national security check.
He said the lack of updates, transparency and oversight had been "incredibly frustrating".
"On the one hand my profession is on the Tier One Green List and New Zealand has said they would like to reward me for working here with rapidly obtaining residency.
"On the other hand, they are also telling me to wait for an unspecified length of time - currently over six months and counting - with no updates, no transparency, no estimates, no oversight. Just 'wait patiently'.
"In the meantime, we can't buy a house, can't get KiwiSaver, and we've had to do another whole round of temporary visa for everyone in the family costing thousands of dollars. We can't begin counting our time until Permanent Residency or citizenship.
"If some medical crisis were to happen to any member of our family in this time that we're in limbo, we would face a very real possibility of having our residency application declined. There are very real monetary and emotional costs."
He estimated the processing of the check itself takes little time. "More likely, it's just sitting around in a queue or multiple queues, by the time it goes from INZ to SIS to whoever international [agency] they are checking with and then back up the chain for six months, with an hour of processing in there somewhere.
"But because they can hide behind 'national security' and provide zero information, there is no ability to shine any light into what is very likely a highly inefficient process."
The SIS, which carries out the checks, said in a statement: "The time it takes to turn around a National Security Check has for some years remained relatively consistent. Within the timeframe of a temporary or residence visa application being considered, the vast majority of NSCs are turned around within weeks, with only a very small number of cases taking longer.
"NSCs may be required for a range of reasons and the time it takes to complete a NSC varies depending on the applicant and their circumstances.
"Only a small proportion of those applying for visas are subject to NSCs. The checks seek to identify travellers with links to international extremist groups, espionage activities, or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This process enables border protection agencies to prevent people who may pose a risk to national security from entering the country.
"By way of background, Immigration New Zealand administers the visa application system, and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service does not approve or decline visa applications, rather provide assessments to help INZ make decisions."