Officials granted the Megaupload founder residency in 2010 after deciding the money he could bring to the country outweighed concern about criminal convictions in his native Germany for computer fraud and stock-price manipulation.
The Associated Press news agency, which obtained the documents, reported yesterday that Dotcom's fortune was also apparently over-stated during the application process.
Dotcom's immigration agent, David Cooper, described him in application papers as a billionaire, a term immigration officials repeated in their own assessments.
Cooper told AP that the description came from Dotcom himself.
But subsequent asset seizures indicate Dotcom's wealth to be far less than $1 billion.
Before he was granted residency, officials noted that Dotcom had made charitable contributions in New Zealand and was planning to sponsor a fireworks show for Auckland at a cost of $600,000.
"The applicant has already made a substantial economic contribution to New Zealand through his spending here and will make further investments," immigration official Chris Biggs wrote.
But on October 26, 2010, an immigration manager, Gareth Grigg, sent a memo to a colleague saying Mr Cooper advised that "Mr Dotcom wants a decision on his application by 1 November 2010, or he will walk away".
He said he would consider residency options in Australia or Canada.
Mr Grigg noted that: "Mr Dotcom may be seen to be controlling the processing of his application", and that proceeding with the application without all the outstanding information "may amount to Mr Dotcom being afforded special treatment because of his wealth."
Six days later - on Dotcom's deadline day - immigration officials granted him residency.
Dotcom is fighting extradition to the US over charges of copyright infringement and racketeering through Megaupload.com, the file-sharing website he founded.
An Immigration NZ spokesman said yesterday all elements of his application were appropriately considered.
Dotcom was convicted in 1998 of computer fraud and dealing in stolen phone cards.
In 2002, he was convicted of manipulating the stock price of an internet startup. Both times, he was fined but avoided jail time.
- AP/NZ Herald
