Home > Our Publications > New Zealand Outlook > 2003 > July

By Lawrence Johnston

IN WHAT is the most significant change in New Zealand immigration policy in more than a decade, the existing General Skills category has been scrapped, and will be replaced around the end of the year, by a new Skilled Migrant category.
An interim General Skills category requiring a relevant job offer with all applications, will apply until the new scheme is introduced.
In addition the extensive backlog of more than 20,000 applications will be prioritised, and those not meeting the priority criteria will be lapsed. Fees already paid by people whose applications are to be lapsed, will be refunded.
Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said the changes were designed to shift the use of the current General Skills Category (GSC) from one that provides for the passive acceptance of residence applications to one that promotes the active recruitment of the skilled migrants that New Zealand needs.
The new Skilled Migrant category would enhance the current points-based system with a new focus on settlement outcomes and meeting New Zealand's needs.
Prospective migrants will in future register expressions of interest based on meeting a fixed threshold on the enhanced points system. Health, character and English language requirements will still need to be met prior to registration.
Ms Dalziel said bonus points would be introduced to ensure that those who for example, have qualifications and experience matching New Zealand's skill shortages and/or who have relevant job offers in regions outside Auckland, earn the highest points.
"The pool of interested migrants that these expressions of interest will generate will enable us to select applicants with the highest rankings and invite them to apply for residence."
Once skilled migrants were invited to apply for residence, there would be a reasonably high expectation that the application would lead to residence, either:
* Directly, where there was a demonstrated ability to settle in New Zealand, or
* Indirectly, through a two year work-to-residence programme where there was no relevant job offer, or history of studying or working successfully in New Zealand.
"This policy is designed to end the 'professional-driving-taxi' scenario, which was driven by a policy focussing solely on a migrant gaining residence by meeting the required points, rather than ensuring that their skills and talent could be utilised in New Zealand," she said.
Nothing was more frustrating to a professional migrant than to find that he or she could not find work in their area of expertise.
"The new scheme will ensure that skilled migrants can contribute positively to our communities and our economy, through meaningful jobs they are skilled to do. The new Skilled Migrant category gives us the best of both worlds," the Minister said.
The changes emerged following a comprehensive review of General Skills. A review of the Investor category is not yet complete. Announcements about that will be made later this year.