Election 2017 - Party Policies - Immigration
27th May 17, 9:26am
by
Immigration
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- Continue to be a pro-immigration party, honouring our heritage as a nation of immigrants, while trimming back overly generous entitlements such as pensions after only ten years’ residency.
- Maintain New Zealand’s values of free speech, free assembly, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, property rights and the rule of law as non-negotiable conditions that all immigrants must accept. We should require new citizens to explicitly sign up to these values, as required in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
- Pursue a free trade and free movement area between Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom (CANZUK).
- Read more here.
- Take all reasonable steps to prevent immigration numbers and the sale of land to rich immigrants from having an adverse impact on Aotearoa/NZ and its Taonga.
- Give priority in the skilled migrant category to skills needed for a sustainable society and economy.
- Require employers to give temporary migrant workers at least the same pay and working conditions as local workers; allow temporary workers who possess valuable skills to apply for residency.
- Require all new voluntary migrants granted provisional residency status to demonstrate an awareness of New Zealand's laws and social norms.
- Exempt marriage, civil union, and de facto partnership reunification from all quotas.
- Read more here.
- Introduce an Exceptional Skills Visa for highly skilled or talented people; and the KiwiBuild Visa to help address the growing shortages in skilled tradespeople and facilitate Labour's KiwiBuild housing programme.
- Strengthen the Labour Market Test for work visas, and make our skills shortage lists more regional.
- Remove the ability to work for international students in low-level courses except where the work is approved as part of their study; and remove the ability to get a work visa without a job for those who have completed study below university level.
- Run a voluntary trial civic engagement course for new and recent migrants to support their participation in New Zealand’s civic life and access to community services.
- With the state sector, establish a two year trial programme to create more equitable opportunities for migrants to advance into senior positions including structured mentoring, pro-active promotion of opportunities to multicultural communities, and a ‘blind’ job application process for senior positions.
- Read more here and here.
- Introduce a Te Tiriti o Waitangi programme as a prerequisite to gaining citizenship, meeting language and settlement requirements.
- Amend the Immigration Act to include tikanga Māori in its application and incorporate a pledge to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the Oath of Citizenship.
- Appoint two jointly responsible Immigration Ombudsmen (a tangata whenua representative and a tau iwi representative) and grant them powers to hear and investigate complaints and to resolve immigration issues.
- Introduce new visa categories so we can be responsive to humanitarian needs and incentivise greater investment in our domestic infrastructure and regional economies.
- Eliminate immigration policies that discriminate on the grounds of race, religion or culture.
- Read more here and here.
- Expand the global impact visa. Enable younger, successful and well-connected entrepreneurs at the start of their career to establish their ventures in New Zealand. This new visa will help lift innovation and create jobs through the establishment of new business ventures and access to global networks.
- Continue to look at ways to encourage high value tourists, international students and business visitors to New Zealand.
- Continue to back our employers and make sure access to the international labour market is available when there is a genuine need.
- Encourage investment that provides greater economic benefits for New Zealand through our Entrepreneur and Investor migrant categories.
- Attract migrants with the skills and experience we need for our growing economy.
- Read more here.
- Attract highly skilled migrants by reducing numbers to around 10,000 per annum. Increase, the Permanent Residency qualification period from the current two-years.
- Ensure immigration under ‘family reunion’ is strictly controlled.
- Make sure effective measures are put in place to stop the exploitation of migrant workers with respect to wages, safety and work conditions. In Christchurch and elsewhere there is evidence of exploitation of migrant workers.
- Develop strategies to encourage the regional dispersion of immigration to places other than Auckland and the main centres.
- Substantially increase the minimum English requirement.
- Read more here.
- Require the Government to publish a 10 Year Population Strategy used to identify the impact of demographic changes on our society and economy
- Fast-track any skilled migrant with an offer of employment (business sponsor). If they have a sponsor, grant approval.
- Fast track any migrant who has a majority of their immediate family in New Zealand. The family must sponsor their incoming family member to come into New Zealand. In order to sponsor a parent, child or sibling, you must prove your ability to support them.
- Devise a comprehensive immigrant settlement programme and ensure all immigrants receive full information and ongoing support regarding language, community events, job placement and social services.
- Establish a one-stop business development agency to help migrants in setting up their own businesses.
- Read more here.
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1 Comments
by
jh
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24th Aug 17, 9:08am
We need more objective measures on quality of life. We also need to face up to the effects of "diversity" on social cohesion. Diversity is looked on as a great strength, morally and practically despite evidence to the contrary. Social scientist ought to be evidence focused rather than activist focused.
http://socialdemocracy21stcentury.blogspot.co.nz/2016/09/robert-putnam-…
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