Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced a major loosening of the settings for temporary work visas and for visas for family members.
The move, announced at an event in Mt Albert for migrant community leaders on Wednesday afternoon adds to significant loosening of settings for seasonal fruit pickers and hospitality and tourism since he took the reins as Immigration Minister in July to replace the retiring Kris Faafoi.
The latest loosening of the settings is the biggest yet and reflects a pivot from the Government's approach last year and earlier this year, when it tried to limit the numbers of temporary migrants returning after the lifting of Covid controls and increase wages.
Businesses, hospitals and many other employers have called for a loosening of the settings as they struggle to find workers at pre-Covid wages. Temporary work visa holders, including those on skilled migrant visas, holiday makers with work rights and students with work rights, made more than 5% of the workforce before Covid, but have since dropped sharply as many left and new arrivals either weren't able or didn't want to come.
Wood announced:
- the immediate reopening of the Skilled Migrant Category work visa ahead of a full review of the settings;
- the immediate reopening of the parent visa category and an increase in the quota from 1,000 per year to 2,500; and,
- the removal of the planning range for residency visa, which has been around 50,000 per year for decades prior to covid.
“As the world recovers from COVID-19, labour shortages continue to be a global symptom,” Wood said.
“We are listening closely to the concerns of businesses, many of whom have approval to hire migrants but are finding it difficult to recruit internationally in a constrained labour market. Today’s changes work in tandem with the immigration changes already made and will help further relieve labour shortages, and ensure a competitive edge to attract talent to New Zealand," he said.
Wood said the resumption of the Skilled Migrant Category under the current settings would be at a threshold of 160 points, with subsequent selections at an increased threshold of 180 points, "to better align with the future direction of the category and our rebalance goals."
Wood said over 12,000 international migrants had applied for 511 different occupations across New Zealand since the Accredited Employer Work Visa opened.
"The Skilled Migrant Category provides a pathway for retaining the majority of these much needed skills in New Zealand permanently, strengthening our nation’s resilience to global shocks and economic security into the future.
“Getting the long term settings of the category right is important for New Zealand’s future economic security, and ensuring that we can attract and retain high skilled talent. At the same time as resuming selections, we are commencing consultation on a proposed new system that will future proof the category and will further complement the new Green List and Highly Paid residence pathways," he said.
“The previous system restricted the number applications which were progressed through a planning range, this meant that only 40% of SMC applications were processed in 2019."
“Our proposed changes, include removing the planning range, so that all applications that meet the criteria will be processed. It will also include a more simplified points system, will set a clear, fair and transparent eligibility threshold and offer several ways for people to demonstrate their skill level," he said.
“The proposed changes will also see a faster route to residence for very highly skilled migrants, such as university lecturers or scientists who hold a PhD, while other professionals such as teachers and registered tradespeople will have a clear route if they work for a period in New Zealand. The new system will improve processing times and there will be no cap on the number of people who can gain residence each year, if they meet the skills threshold.”
Parent visa category reopened
The reopening of the parent visa category and the increasing of the number of parent visas, along with reducing income thresholds, would encourage migrants to come, Wood said.
“We recognise the importance for migrants resettling here to have a pathway for their parents to join them,” Wood said.
“Re-starting the parent category is the right thing to do, and will see New Zealand become an even more attractive destination for high skilled migrants looking to resettle long term, knowing they can do so with their families. Alongside reopening and modernising the category it means more family reunifications,” he said.
The category will see a lower income threshold for sponsors, a new ballot, and the resumption of selecting expressions of interest from the existing queue starting 14 November, among other changes.
“The number of Parent Resident Visas granted each year will also increase to 2,500 a year. Resuming selections from existing Expressions of Interest queue is a priority, and I know how important this is to many migrant families. I’m pleased to say selections will resume on 14 November, and up to 2,000 visas a year will be granted to people with existing expressions of interest.
“As part of modernising the Parent Category, from today, any new expressions of interest submitted will go into a ballot rather than add to the existing queue. Moving to a ballot means people will avoid a lengthy queue and they will be eligible for selection for two years after submitting their expression of interest.
“An additional 500 visas a year will be granted from the ballot, starting with the first selection in August 2023."
Wood said migration was important to the nation's economic future.
“We recognise the important role the immigration system plays in our nation’s economic future. We are committed to working with businesses to ensure we are striking the right balance”, Wood said.
The proposed new system of skilled migrant visas would require applicants to have at least 6 points. This can be made up of 3 to 6 points based on their NZ professional registration qualification or income. People who meet the minimum skill threshold can also claim 1 point per year worked in New Zealand in a skilled job, up to a maximum of 3 points. All migrants will have to have a job, or a job offer in New Zealand, and be paid at least the median wage for ANZSCO 1-3 occupations or at least 1.5 times the median wage for ANZSCO 4-5 occupations
This is now open for formal consultation on the MBIE website. The first selection will be based on the status quo of 160 points, so those who have already submitted an expression of interest, or those who have made plans to come to New Zealand based on the current system, have an opportunity to apply at the current level. The first selection will take place on 9 November. People with existing applications will be advised about how to update their existing expressions of interest, or to withdraw and request a refund. ·
Subsequent selections will be at an increased threshold 180 points. The first at this threshold will be on 18 January 2023. Any expressions of interest submitted after 9 November will need to meet 180 points.
The changes to the Parent Category are:
- increasing the number of Parent Resident Visas granted each year from 1,000 a year to 2,500;
- lowering the income threshold for sponsors to 1.5 times the median wage for one sponsor supporting one parent, and 2 times the median wage for joint sponsors;
- for someone sponsoring more than one parent, the income threshold will increase by 0.5 times the median wage for each additional parent sponsored, up to 6 parents;
- expanding joint sponsorship arrangements to allow two adult children (siblings) to combine their income to meet the relevant threshold, rather than only with their partner (a maximum of two people sponsoring still applies)
- re-starting the expressions of interest (EOI) selections from 14 November for people who already have EOIs in the queue. Selections will be made in chronological order;
- introducing a ballot for new expressions of interest (EOI) selections, starting on 12 October 2022, with the first selection in August 2023;
- after that, selections are planned to take place every three months (August, November, February and May).
Reaction
Green Party Immigration spokesman Ricardo Menéndez March said the Government's decision to prioritise family reunification for high income earners, while forcing those on lower incomes to stay apart, was unacceptable.
“The Green Party is calling for an end to the Government’s blatantly unfair salary-based family reunification policy,” Menéndez March said.
"While we welcome the lowering of salary thresholds, the Minister has not gone far enough to make sure everyone has the right to be with their family regardless of income," he said.
“I don’t think anyone that comes here to work expects to be told that their parents’ right to come here to join their family will be determined by their salary. Essentially what the Government is saying is that if you come here to work in a big business where you can earn a high salary, then your parents can come with you."
He said childcare costs in New Zealand are among the highest in the OECD, so these visa settings exacerbate disadvantage for lower paid families.
(Updated with political reaction)
133 Comments
We should expect to be able to take our parents anywhere...Menendez claims "it's a human right"...
There are a couple of Green MPs worthy of their salary, but this guy ain't one.
If Labour/Greens open the immigration taps then their last hope of beating National/ACT will be gone.
While we welcome the lowering of salary thresholds, the Minister has not gone far enough to make sure everyone has the right to be with their family regardless of income," he said.
I believe that right is the right not to emigrate. Or to reverse migrate if you miss your family, like many Kiwis
Most people who migrate would probably like the option of moving their parents.
There isn't a short term fix to labour shortages other than migration. And sadly migrants are going to become more expensive over time as there are labour shortages basically everywhere except maybe Africa.
Maybe if Steve Jobs was still alive he could ninja up a robot like the T-800 and we'd all watch them work while we sip drinks by the pool.
That was our govt about 30 years ago deciding on a cap for the country; other saner countries promised a per capita cap. If there had been no immigrants for the last 25 years our population would be about 20% smaller and we could hit the carbon targets with electricity generated from hydro.
That's one way to look at it. The other being planeloads of long-term migrants arriving each day without the well-functioning markets and infrastructure here makes us all poorer.
So fewer carbon emissions resulting from rapidly falling living standards.
Either WA, these sacrifices are to make a drop in the bathtub worth of difference to global emissions.
If I’ve read this correctly you need 2x the median wage to bring in a parent to ensure you can support them financially. But you can combine the income of a couple/two siblings. So you need 1x the median wage. Which couple is going to be able to support themselves and their children on 2x median wage let alone their parents.
It's clear we don't really care about our own leaving the country and family ties because we rather keep property unaffordable, and by doing so we need to bring in foreigners and then look after their parents. It seems pretty messed up to me.
How about we introduce debt to income limits that are gradually decreased so property is affordable. Imagine how many Kiwis would stay and come back - with no new parents to look after.
The Ministries in Wellington are an incompetent mess - I suspect a huge part of the government's delivery problem is due to civil service incompetence (this doesn't remove blame from Labour Party Cabinet Ministers - they should have recognised the problem and overhauled their departments).
Waka Kotahi - NZ's transport authority for instanced lied and grossly mislead the incoming Associate Transport Minister Kieran McAnulty. Waka Kotahi comes under Michael Wood responsibility as the Minister of Transport.
https://brendon-harre.medium.com/minister-wellington-is-not-the-2nd-lar…
If Michael Wood doesn't have transport civil servants under control is the Immigration service also biased and out of control too?
Wow. All these people will all arrive just in time for the recession. What happens then. Your parents are already here but you no longer have the job/income to "sponsor" them. Businesses need to be forced by the market to invest in capital equipment and technology to make their existing workforce more productive.
We already have plenty of mediocre kitchens. We don't need to crowd them with mediocre cooks. Spoiling our collective broth.
Increased labour supply = increased demand for G&S + less pressure on wages
increased demand for G&S = boost aggregate demand
less pressure on wages = lower required OCR.
While from a monetary policy standpoint, the two effects may cancel each other out, from a real economy standpoint they would help make a recession less likely.
Absolutely disagree. NZ will not have enough infrastructure to support the hundreds of thousands new migrants brought in each year. This means either higher prices, lower quality of life or both is the fate of the average Kiwi.
If a migrant brings 2 parents along, that's 3 new consumers adding to aggregate demand but just 1 worker adding labour to the supply side.
What do your equations say that does to a supply-crunched economy like ours? Does this growing imbalance call for lower OCR?
James Shaw being smacked down by party membership after his huge success with the cap and trade scheme was a red flag. It's essentially the only policy that we have that will impact on our emissions in a significant way, and the only policy to do so we need if it's used correctly.
You'd think that would be considered a good job for a minority party co-leader.
Early days in TOP, I remember Gareth proudly stating, in true dismal "science" style, that the enjoyment of one's property should be a taxable commodity. Taxing enjoyment, guaranteed vote winner. Loosely translated, when you are older and asset rich but income poor, the state will repossess your property incrementally, so the highest income earners can get a tax cut.
We have quite a hefty tax on alcohol, taxing enjoyment is pretty standard. Gareth is also no longer associated with the party.
Yes, those who are asset rich and cash poor will have the option of rolling the tax into a sum to be paid from their inheritance - if they ever get repossessed it's after they are dead and no longer concerned. At the tax rates proposed you'd have to live well into your hundreds for your descendants to be left with nothing.
Well, depending on their age they'll need to wait 10-20 years before drawing NZ Super: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/about-work-and-income/news/2021/chang….
Is this a govt working in the best interests of its citizens? Neither major party has done anything of substance to improve the lives of people, other than a minority cohort, over the past couple of decades that I can see. There will be some minor examples but think about where we were 20 to 30 years ago and where we are now. Is NZ a better place? From where I stand most definitely not, and worryingly I don't feel like we've seen the worst of it.
TOP actually is quite a LOT better.
Yes, they propose to finally introduce a land value tax... but, for people who own rental properties, they intend to
- Remove the current Bright Line Test and allow tax deductibility of interest for landlords, which is replaced by the land value tax.
So if you lived in the US and weren't happy with the Democrats, would you then vote Trump back in? I never understand the logic of using your dissatisfaction to then vote for someone worse.
It's also like those that dismiss mainstream news for not always being perfect and then instead use social media for their news.
For me, while I'm not entirely happy with Labour, I certainly don't want National back in.
NZ isn't the first, second or even third destination for skilled migrants. The result is we get the dregs of the talent pool. And deservedly so - we pay rubbish, charge dearly for necessaries of life and are a taciturn bunch who are hard to get to know (so the surveys tell us)
The world's a changing though. There will be a lot of Americans wanting out of the US if the midterms see in enough of the MAGAmaniacs to flip either the House or Senate.
I've got seriously well educated relatives (with young families) that will leave in a heartbeat.
Who actually votes for these morons? Vote Labour, unsustainable population growth. Vote Nat same. Vote ACT same. Vote Green same. A pox on all their houses! Reminds me of yesterday's cartoon on Interest. "Don't blame me, I didn't vote". The appalling intellectual capacity of those offering themselves as candidates is a compelling reason, NOT TO VOTE!
Green Party Immigration spokesman Ricardo Menéndez March is keen to increase the number of low paid families in New Zealand.
I'm totally in favour of a category for parents to become migrants. But there is a cost - mainly their future superannuation and healthcare costs but also extra infrastructure required if they don't live with their migrant children. A simple question: who should pay?
Well, we do need more highly skilled people so that's good in my eyes.
I'd ditch the parent visa. The parents rarely provide anything for this country, if anything, will become a drain.
The statement from the Green party really shows how terrible they are, not that I'm defending any of the other parties..
Cobolt24: I seem to have a different language to you and Michael Wood - 'skilled' denotes an ability to do things that most cannot and 'highly' means exceptionally skilled. So how can it match 'median' - surely by definition median indicates an average person of average ability having average skills.
Just say what you mean: NZ needs more average people doing average jobs and you are not worried about the ability of the family they bring with them.
Parents are OK - it shows we are a kind nation looking for contented families not desperate immigrants - however they are a cost and someone has to pay. It should not be the taxpayer unless the taxpayer has an opportunity to vote on it. It could be paid for by the already settled migrants or by a charity organisation. Mr Menéndez March might start a 'Mexican community fellowship association' for the sponsorship of Mexicans.
NZ immigration polices are f**ked for want of a better term.
We grow talent with our tax dollars then encourage it to leave so other countries get the benefit.
Then we welcome no hopers that require welfare and superannuation, they haven't contributed a cent tax wise.
Standing in the middle of a rope bridge with both ends burning comes to mind.
Skilled workers like bus drivers and prison guards. Better build some more motels in Roto Vegas. Hard Landing ahead bring your grandparents . Wishy washy wont cut it anymore. Sound policies and direction is needed . Health system needs huge investment , Justice system needs a kick in the pants, its all starting to boil over into one big mess and importing cheap/skilled labour or indeed wealth wont save it...begs the question, Have we become to liberal with expenditure in all the wrong places?
Betrayal by Labour. Allowing in the parents of average wage immigrants and allowing them to claim super is a farce, terrible for NZ's economy.
This is clearly a shameless move to appease NZ's greedy at the expense of the average joe and jane, particularly the young.
If only there was a party to vote for who truly cared about NZ's middle and working classes and wouldn't cave once elected.
Skilled? I could see skilled was only valid at earnings over $100K.
Parent? Only if self supporting. And no crap evaluation of that. So depositing of a big bond. Prepaid health insurance. Etc.
There are examples of the kids moving onto OZ leaving the oldies behind. Health service costs, and super costs are on us. (apparently if the stranded are not eligible for super, the civil service dodge is yo toss them another benefit.
listening to erica this morning that is the national policy, this from the same person that fought tooth and nail to leave the area she lives in under developed for housing, a typical two faced politician,
ES: Ever since I was young, I’ve been passionate about protecting and preserving Okura. My parents were heavily involved in protecting the area from a proposed rubbish dump. Okura faces multiple threats including substandard walking tracks, predators, weeds and pressure on both sides from housing developments. While it’s important that we provide more homes to ease housing pressure, we need to balance this with protecting our green spaces for future
Whereas the last time the taps were opened it was a huge influx from Asia - it's going to be a huge influx from the US this time round if the MAGAmaniacs flip either the House or Senate in these mid-terms.
The US is moving towards anarchy as long as Trump lives and breathes. Even if the DoJ manages to jail him, there are so many others that are that far gone - there is no shortage of megalomanics waiting in the wings.
The problems are insurmountable as it is - and if Biden is a lame duck for the next two years - it's all over rover.
Putin achieved a real coup - Americans no longer trust their own voting system.
They still won't be kicking our doors down to get in. Shortages are worldwide, a culmination of a number of things.
Too many people these days would rather be influencers and game developers than get their hands dirty in any real work.
Buckle in, we're in for a rough ride.
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