English confirms migrant changes
A proposed immigration crackdown will be watered down after a backlash from provincial bosses, Prime Minister Bill English has confirmed.
English said the policy wouldn’t be scrapped and there wouldn’t be ‘‘whole-scale change - just around the parameters’’.
The Government announced in April there would be an overhaul of the skills requirements for work visas as immigration heated up as an election-year issue.
But the rule changes have been criticised as overly punitive and locking out a large number of skilled or necessary workers, particularly in regions where employers say they are struggling with a labour shortage.
The proposed changes to the skilled migrant visa would set a minimum median annual income of $48,859 for jobs that are currently considered ‘‘skilled’’ and make migrants leave for at least a year after three years of working.
South Island mayors are among those who put pressure on the Government to do a U-turn.
English said he had heard feedback ‘‘across the board’’ from employers, businesses and employees to migrants.
‘‘So we’ll be taking that into account.
‘‘I wouldn’t comment on the particular parameters but I would make this point - in an economy producing 10,000 new jobs a month, that demand for skills applies right across the country, in Auckland and the regions.’’
He said the ‘‘strength of the demand’’ in the regions was surprising some people.
Immigration continues to hit fresh highs - it reached a new record in June, totalling 72,305 in the year, up from 71,964 in the year to May 31.
The net figure counts people intending to live, work or study in New Zealand for more than a year – minus those leaving.
Annual net migration has been steadily increasing since late 2012.
That has turned it into an election-year hot potato, with Labour, NZ First and National all promising to curb numbers.
But Labour and National have also both promised big house building programmes - and shortages in the construction industry already make it a difficult balancing act.