Visa restrictions bother mayor

LONDON: The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has expressed his concern at restrictions on longterm visas for New Zealanders, saying he wants New Zealanders to continue to live and work in London.

Mr Khan hosted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, at London’s City Hall yesterday, discussing gender equality and issues facing the younger generation in front of an audience from three secondary schools.

Following the talk, Mr Khan told Stuff he was concerned how visa restrictions would affect New Zealanders coming to London.

‘‘What we don’t want is a toxic and hostile environment being created so that people in New Zealand get the mistaken impression that we’re somehow going to become inward and insular here.’’

New Zealanders can live in the UK for up to two years but they have to pay a surcharge to the NHS if they live in the UK for longer than six months, certain visas require minimum income thresholds, and employers will have to pay a fee for immigrant workers from April.

Mr Khan’s predecessor, Boris Johnson, had suggested an agreement to allow free mobility between Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand but Mr Khan did not say whether he agreed with this proposal.

Ms Ardern later told UK Prime Minister Theresa May she wanted to ensure skilled New Zealanders could access the UK labour market.