Govt tightens NZ residency controls
The Government is tightening the number of residency permits it grants, in a bid to stem rising demand among foreigners to live and work in New Zealand.
The number of points a migrant has to attain to gain residency has also been lifted, raising the skills threshold under which a migrant has to qualify.
But opposition MPs are criticising the changes as ‘‘window dressing’’, accusing the Government of making a populist move without addressing the issue.
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse made the surprise announcement on Tuesday, with a headline figure that would see 5000 fewer residency permits planned for.
But the changes would have no material affect on the overall numbers of immigrants able to work in New Zealand – no changes had been made to any of the temporary working visa categories.
A spokeswoman from Woodhouse’s office clarified that the changes were a bid to preempt rising demand for residency, which was forecast to blowout beyond the normal planning range within a few years.
The changes announced would apply for the next two years and see the Government work to a ‘‘planning range’’ for residence approvals of 85,000 to 95,000 - down from 90,000 to 100,000.
The number of places for migrants to enter on the basis of family members already being here had also been lowered from 5500 down to 2000 per year.
Prime Minister Key said the changes were ’’at the margins’’. ‘‘We don’t normally bang into the self-imposed cap, which was 90-100,000 people. Because we have done that very recently and we are going through the digestion of that we thought it probably made sense to reduce it a small amount.’’
He said it was not a dramatic move, but it would have some impact.
The family reunification cut was made while the Government assessed the impact of the category on welfare costs and whether people were meeting their commitments.
‘‘It is likely to to be more temporary than permanent.’’
Parents would be the most affected by the change.
Financial markets reacted swiftly, with the dollar sliding a quarter of a US cent within an hour. The Kiwi briefly sank below 71 US cents for the first time since July in mid-afternoon trading.