IMMIGRATION - MSC NewsWire

Suspension of decision making authority

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse is taking steps to improve Immigration New Zealand’s decision making authority for cases involving residence class visa holders convicted of a criminal offence. “Currently, Immigration NZ has the ability to make decisions on behalf of the Minister on deportation cases for some residence class visa holders convicted of a criminal offence,” Mr Woodhouse says. “I have made my expectations very clear when it comes to deportation decisions involving offending of this nature and those expectations are not being met. So I am temporarily suspending Immigration NZ’s decision making authority until I have confidence that the decisions…

Changes to better manage immigration to New Zealand

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse today announced a package of changes designed to better manage immigration and improve the long-term labour market contribution of temporary and permanent migration. “The Government is committed to ensuring inward migration best supports the economy and the labour market,” Mr Woodhouse says. “It’s important that our immigration settings are attracting the right people, with the right skills, to help fill genuine skill shortages and contribute to our growing economy. “That is why we are making a number of changes to our permanent and temporary immigration settings aimed at managing the number and improving the quality of…

Record annual net gain of 70,300 migrants

| Wellington , Nov 23, 2016 | -International Travel and Migration: October 2016 - New Zealand’s unadjusted annual net gain (more arrivals than departures) of migrants was a record 70,300 in the October 2016 year, Statistics New Zealand said today. This surpasses the previous annual record of 70,000 in the September 2016 year. “The record annual net gain in migration was driven by the increase in migrant arrivals,” population statistics manager Jo-Anne Skinner said. “At the same time migrant departures decreased, adding to the high net gain.” Migrant arrivals numbered 126,100 in the October 2016 year, setting a new annual…