Tougher rules for migrants
Immigration Extended waiting time for welfare to apply to Australians despite special ties
Access to welfare will be tightened for migrants, including Australians, under a rule change quietly slipped into the Budget.
All migrants will have to be in New Zealand for three years, rather than two, before they have access to the main unemployment benefit.
The measure was included in yesterday’s Budget but was not accompanied by any public announcement. Set to come into force in July next year, it will affect 2100 migrants a year — especially Pacific Islanders.
Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said it would apply to all migrants. There would be no exemptions for Australians, despite the two countries’ special relationship.
While the move is not aimed at Australians, it comes just weeks after New Zealand expressed frustration with the gradual removal of rights and entitlements for expatriate New Zealanders.
Australian expatriates will still get more favourable treatment after the welfare changes come into force. Most New Zealanders who moved to Australia after 2001 cannot get most social security benefits, no matter how long they have lived there.
Immigration data shows that about 5 per cent of recent migrants in New Zealand claimed welfare, and that migrants from Pacific Islands and South Asian countries were most likely to go on a benefit. It is estimated that changing the waiting time for welfare will save $25 million over four years.
The change comes as migration levels defy forecasts.
The Treasury had predicted that annual net migration had reached its highest point at about 70,000 in September. But estimates released with the Budget said migration “continued to outpace expectations” and was now expected to peak in mid-year at nearly 72,500.