Young and highly-skilled get new pathway to citizenship

Jonathan Coleman. Photo / Dean Purcell

Young, highly skilled graduate workers can come to New Zealand under a new visa policy which would eventually lead them on a pathway to becoming permanent residents.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said the new Silver Fern visa, to be implemented in April next year, aimed to attract the young and highly-skilled.

"In the global competition for skills, we need to encourage young, career-minded people to choose New Zealand as a long term destination.

"It is important to acknowledge that migration is a key economic enabler. It gives New Zealand businesses international connections and provides skills to transform our economic landscape. However, it's all about attracting the right skills and matching those skills with the employment needs of our economy."

Under the policy, young people with proven potential will be able to come to New Zealand for up to nine months to seek skilled employment.

Once employed, they will then be issued with a further permit to stay another two years while they apply for residence.

"The policy is designed so that people who meet the requirements upfront will be likely candidates for residence under the skilled migrant category," Dr Coleman said.

The policy targets those between 20 and 35 and will have an initial limit of 300.

In other changes to work policy taking effect on Monday, Immigration New Zealand said the minimum income threshold of $33,675 for essential-skills work-permit holders before their children can be considered domestic students was not meant to stop children of migrant workers from attending school.

"The policy is not designed to prohibit children from attending school, but to ensure that parents who wish to bring their children to New Zealand while they work on an essential skills work permit will have the income necessary to care for their children," said Lesley Haines, acting head of Immigration New Zealand.

These children could apply to study as international students, who pay annual school fees upwards of $10,000.

But Ms Haines said they were unlikely to be able to afford it.

"It is most unlikely that any parent earning less than $33,675 would be able to afford international student fees and expenses for their children.

"However, if they can afford to, the children will be assessed under student policy," she added.

Immigration New Zealand will also make changes to its long-term skills-shortage list from today.

Six occupations - boat builder, fitter, air conditioning and refrigerator mechanic, fruit or nut grower, market gardener and mixed crop farmer - are no longer deemed to be in long-term shortage and have been removed from the list.

But five new occupations - physicist, life scientist, medical oncologist, supply and distribution manager and diesel motor mechanic - have been added to it.

Employers wanting to recruit migrants in occupations not on the list can still do so if the employer is able to demonstrate that no suitable New Zealanders are available in that location to fill the job, Immigration New Zealand said.