Dotcom immigration decision right: Former Minister

Immigration New Zealand is standing by its decision to grant Kim Dotcom residency.. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A former Immigration Minister is convinced Immigration New Zealand made the right decision in granting Kim Dotcom residency.

The Department has released the file on Dotcom's application, which reveals one month after the Megaupload founder was granted residency, he was convicted of eight business charges in Hong Kong.

Aussie Malcolm acted as an agent for Dotcom, and says it's not an unusual case for Immigration.

"They're very strict on things like sex, drugs, guns, violence, passport offences, but for things that happened a long time ago or that were not of a particularly criminal nature, they tend to exercise their discretion."

Mr Malcolm says the Hong Kong charges weren't of a major criminal nature - they involved the purchase of some shares.

Meanwhile Immigration New Zealand is standing by its decision to grant Dotcom residency.

Immigration New Zealand acting head Steve Stuart says Dotcom made full disclosure of these criminal convictions and they were fully taken into account.

He says the Immigration Act allows for discretion to be exercised in certain cases, as was done in this case when they weighed up the potential economic benefits of his moving here.

Mr Stuart says he wants to place on record his utmost faith in the work his staff do.