Labour seeks to bring more ‘sense’ to immigration policy: cuts down student numbers
Labour Party is seeking to introduce moderate, sensible reforms to immigration to reduce the pressure on our cities, while ensuring we get the skilled workers our country needs, says Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little.
“In recent years, our population has been growing rapidly as record numbers of migrants arrive here. National didn’t foresee this and hasn’t planned for the impact it’s having on our country. Since 2013, immigration has been more than four times what was forecast – 130,000 more people than expected have settled here, equivalent to the population of Tauranga.
“National has taken its eye off the ball; Labour will get the balance right. It’s time for a fresh approach. Labour will make changes to immigration settings that will reduce net immigration by 20,000-30,000 a year,” Mr Little asserts.
However, none of the changes proposed by the Labour Party will affect those who are already in New Zealand says Mr Little.
Student Visas
Labour will stop issuing student visas for courses below a bachelor’s degree which are not independently assessed by the TEC and NZQA to be of high quality.
Labour will also limit the ability to work while studying to international students studying at Bachelor-level or higher. For those below that level, the course will have to have the ability to work approved as part of the course.
“National’s policies have created a backdoor to residency via low-level study and low-skill work. These have had the perverse effect that a 23 year old with a New Zealand diploma and three years’ experience in retail can get more points towards residency than a 45 year old Oncologist who wants to migrate here,” Mr Little says.
A third of international students studying at PTEs say they plan to work or seek residency here after study.
“Closing off the ability to work during and after study for people who do low-level courses will stop backdoor immigration. We will end the culture of exploitation and corruption that’s grown up to prey on people using this route to come to New Zealand,” Mr Little asserts
Work Visas after study
Labour will limit the “Post Study Work Visa - Open” after graduating from a course of study in New Zealand to those who have studied at Bachelor-level or higher.
It means the international students below level 7 course will lose opportunity to work along their studies and will also not have the opportunity of 1 year open job search visa currently available to them.
Changing this is expected to reduce net migration (international students) by around 9,000-12,000.
Region-specific work visas
Labour is seeking to ensure that, where there are real skills shortages, businesses will be able to get the workers they need by regionalising and rationalising skills shortage lists.
“As part of this, we will better target skills shortages to regions. Improved regionalisation of skills shortage lists and better enforcement of the Labour Market Test will make it easier for regions with genuine skills shortages to get the migrant workers they need,” Mr Little says.
Labour’s regionalised system will work with local councils, unions and business to determine where shortages exist and will require that skilled immigrants work in the region that their visa is issued for.
Strengthen the Labour Market Test for work visas
Labour wants to strengthen Labour Market Test for work visas so they are not being used for jobs Kiwis can do, and make skills shortage lists more regional so migrants coming in under them can only live and work in areas where there is a genuine skills shortage.
For jobs outside of skills shortages lists, Labour will ensure visas are only issued when a genuine effort has been made to find Kiwi workers. “For example, the number of “retail supervisor” work visas has increased from 700 to 1700,” says Mr Little.
This will involve more active enforcement of the Labour Market Test to make sure that employers have offered rates of pay and working conditions that are at least the market rate and have a plan for training people.
Exceptional Skills Visa
Labour will introduce an Exceptional Skills Visa. It will be available to people who can show they are in an occupation on the long-terms skills list and have significant experience or qualifications beyond that required (for example, experienced paediatric oncologist) or are internationally renowned for their skills or talents.
Successful applicants will avoid the usual points system requirements for a Skilled Migrant Category visa and would be able to bring their partner and children within the visa.
KiwiBuild Visa
Labour will create a KiwiBuild Visa specifically targeted at building trades people. The KiwiBuild Visa will allow building firms to bring in skilled workers as long as they also train the same number of New Zealanders and will be additional to construction work visas issued under existing rules.
Residential construction firms could hire a skilled tradesperson on a three-year work visa without having to meet the Labour Market Test if they pay a living wage and take on an apprentice for each overseas worker they hire.
The number of places will be limited to 1,000 to 1,500 at a given time, which we expect will be additional to the construction work visas issued under the existing rules.
Labour will assist with the cost of the apprentices through our Dole for Apprenticeships scheme which will pay the employer the equivalent of the unemployment benefit to take on an apprentice.
Labour Party is seeking to introduce moderate, sensible reforms to immigration to reduce the pressure on our cities, while ensuring we get the skilled workers our country needs, says Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little.
“In recent years, our population has been growing rapidly as record numbers...
Labour Party is seeking to introduce moderate, sensible reforms to immigration to reduce the pressure on our cities, while ensuring we get the skilled workers our country needs, says Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little.
“In recent years, our population has been growing rapidly as record numbers of migrants arrive here. National didn’t foresee this and hasn’t planned for the impact it’s having on our country. Since 2013, immigration has been more than four times what was forecast – 130,000 more people than expected have settled here, equivalent to the population of Tauranga.
“National has taken its eye off the ball; Labour will get the balance right. It’s time for a fresh approach. Labour will make changes to immigration settings that will reduce net immigration by 20,000-30,000 a year,” Mr Little asserts.
However, none of the changes proposed by the Labour Party will affect those who are already in New Zealand says Mr Little.
Student Visas
Labour will stop issuing student visas for courses below a bachelor’s degree which are not independently assessed by the TEC and NZQA to be of high quality.
Labour will also limit the ability to work while studying to international students studying at Bachelor-level or higher. For those below that level, the course will have to have the ability to work approved as part of the course.
“National’s policies have created a backdoor to residency via low-level study and low-skill work. These have had the perverse effect that a 23 year old with a New Zealand diploma and three years’ experience in retail can get more points towards residency than a 45 year old Oncologist who wants to migrate here,” Mr Little says.
A third of international students studying at PTEs say they plan to work or seek residency here after study.
“Closing off the ability to work during and after study for people who do low-level courses will stop backdoor immigration. We will end the culture of exploitation and corruption that’s grown up to prey on people using this route to come to New Zealand,” Mr Little asserts
Work Visas after study
Labour will limit the “Post Study Work Visa - Open” after graduating from a course of study in New Zealand to those who have studied at Bachelor-level or higher.
It means the international students below level 7 course will lose opportunity to work along their studies and will also not have the opportunity of 1 year open job search visa currently available to them.
Changing this is expected to reduce net migration (international students) by around 9,000-12,000.
Region-specific work visas
Labour is seeking to ensure that, where there are real skills shortages, businesses will be able to get the workers they need by regionalising and rationalising skills shortage lists.
“As part of this, we will better target skills shortages to regions. Improved regionalisation of skills shortage lists and better enforcement of the Labour Market Test will make it easier for regions with genuine skills shortages to get the migrant workers they need,” Mr Little says.
Labour’s regionalised system will work with local councils, unions and business to determine where shortages exist and will require that skilled immigrants work in the region that their visa is issued for.
Strengthen the Labour Market Test for work visas
Labour wants to strengthen Labour Market Test for work visas so they are not being used for jobs Kiwis can do, and make skills shortage lists more regional so migrants coming in under them can only live and work in areas where there is a genuine skills shortage.
For jobs outside of skills shortages lists, Labour will ensure visas are only issued when a genuine effort has been made to find Kiwi workers. “For example, the number of “retail supervisor” work visas has increased from 700 to 1700,” says Mr Little.
This will involve more active enforcement of the Labour Market Test to make sure that employers have offered rates of pay and working conditions that are at least the market rate and have a plan for training people.
Exceptional Skills Visa
Labour will introduce an Exceptional Skills Visa. It will be available to people who can show they are in an occupation on the long-terms skills list and have significant experience or qualifications beyond that required (for example, experienced paediatric oncologist) or are internationally renowned for their skills or talents.
Successful applicants will avoid the usual points system requirements for a Skilled Migrant Category visa and would be able to bring their partner and children within the visa.
KiwiBuild Visa
Labour will create a KiwiBuild Visa specifically targeted at building trades people. The KiwiBuild Visa will allow building firms to bring in skilled workers as long as they also train the same number of New Zealanders and will be additional to construction work visas issued under existing rules.
Residential construction firms could hire a skilled tradesperson on a three-year work visa without having to meet the Labour Market Test if they pay a living wage and take on an apprentice for each overseas worker they hire.
The number of places will be limited to 1,000 to 1,500 at a given time, which we expect will be additional to the construction work visas issued under the existing rules.
Labour will assist with the cost of the apprentices through our Dole for Apprenticeships scheme which will pay the employer the equivalent of the unemployment benefit to take on an apprentice.
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