Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Skilled Migrant Category to benefit NZ employers


Changes to Skilled Migrant Category to benefit NZ employers

A change to the way skilled migrants are selected will target top quality migrants and will increase the benefits to New Zealand employers, Immigration Minister David Cunliffe said today.

"New Zealand is an attractive destination for skilled migrants. Demand is high for places in our residence categories. We can afford to be more selective to target the top talent, and those with job offers in areas of skill shortage," Mr Cunliffe said.

Since its introduction in 2003, the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) has focused on targeting migrants that New Zealand needs in a tight labour market.

The new SMC selection process will further meet the needs of New Zealand businesses by prioritising highly skilled migrants and those with jobs or job offers in New Zealand.

Applicants will continue to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for residence and gain points for their skills, qualifications, experience and other indicators of their ability to contribute to New Zealand.

Previously, the EOIs were then ranked and applicants meeting the set selection point were invited to apply for residence. Since September 2004 the set selection point has remained at 100.

Under the new selection process, highly talented migrants who score 140 points and above on their EOI will automatically be selected from the pool.

Applicants who score between 100 and 140 points and have a New Zealand job or job offer will be ranked and selected in sufficient numbers to meet the annual quota of skilled migrants.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

If enough places are available, other EOIs may be selected on the basis of specific criteria which the Minister of Immigration will set every six months.

"This flexibility will enable us to keep tailoring the category to meet employers' needs, while taking into account the suitability of applicants.

"Migrants that can prove employers want to hire them to fill vacancies are the ones New Zealand needs. The new process will target these people. In a tight labour market we need to select people that can make an immediate and substantial difference to the growth of New Zealand," Mr Cunliffe said.

"Due to high demand for places under the SMC, an additional 3000 places will be available over the next two financial years for skilled migrants with job offers. Some repriorisation within the existing residence programme will also free up additional places for migrants with job offers.

"While pressure is easing on employers, the labour market remains tight and skill shortages are still acute. The increase of new migrants to fill job vacancies will help employers needing to recruit skilled workers from overseas for their business growth," Mr Cunliffe said.

The new selection policy takes effect after today's EOI selection. All EOIs received after this time will be selected on the basis of the new policy.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On The Skewed Media Coverage Of Gaza

Now that he’s back as Foreign Minister, maybe Winston Peters should start reading the MFAT website which is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of how Kiwis alerted the rest of the world to the genocide in Rwanda. How times have changed ...

In 2023, the government is clutching its pearls because senior Labour MP Damien O’Connor has dared suggest that Gaza’s civilian population - already living under apartheid and subjected to sixteen years of an illegal embargo, and now being herded together and slaughtered indiscriminately amid the destruction of their homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals - are also victims of what amounts to genocide. More


 
 
ACT: Call To Abolish Human Rights Commission

“The Human Rights Commission’s appointment of a second Chief Executive is just the latest example of a taxpayer-funded bureaucracy serving itself at the expense of delivery for New Zealanders,” says ACT MP Todd Stephenson. More


Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.