1 March 2001 Media Statement

Change to General Skills Category requirements

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel has today announced a delay in implementing changes requiring General Skills Category applicants to lodge qualification assessments with their applications.

"Immigration policy was amended in September 2000 requiring General Skills applicants who needed qualifications reports from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), to have the assessments lodged with their application.

"This provision was to have taken effect from Monday 5 March 2001 but I have decided to delay this, due to the pressure that has been put on NZQA," the Minister said.

The NZIS and NZQA have formalised a Memorandum of Understanding in which the NZQA agrees to process assessment reports within eight weeks of receiving full documentation. However, at the moment, this can not be achieved in all instances.

"To ensure that applicants who have not yet obtained NZQA assessment are not disadvantaged when the provisions take effect, I have decided to delay implementation of this particular provision until 1 July."

Not all General Skills Category applicants will need to have their qualifications assessed by NZQA. For those who do require NZQA assessment, NZIS requires that applications be submitted with either a Qualifications Assessment Report or an Interim Report.

"The deferred implementation date will mean that applications under the General Skills category can be validly lodged without the NZQA assessment report (or interim assessment) until the new implementation date of 1 July 2001.

"I am meeting with NZQA today to discuss ways to ensure that implementation can be achieved by the 1 July date."

ENDS

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