Seven Immigration New Zealand staff have been dismissed this year.
Immigration head Nigel Bickle says the incidents involved serious breaches of the department's code of conduct, but not theft or corruption.
The code of conduct bans actions such as revealing information held by the department without permission, and misusing or falsifying its records.
Mr Bickle says high standards are important in order to maintain the integrity of the Immigration Service following external inquiries into the department over the past couple of years.
However, he says he has confidence in the vast majority of staff.
