KEY POINTS:
Immigration Minister David Cunliffe says it is too early to say whether fees will be changed for Pacific Island migrants, but he will not be recommending removing all the discounts they get.
A Cabinet paper suggested ending the cheaper immigration fees Pacific Island migrants pay when compared to the rest of the world.
The paper said most Pacific migrants were charged New Zealand-level fees which were around 30 per cent cheaper than "rest of world" fees.
It said the Pacific fees would need to move towards the "rest of world band" at the next fee review, citing higher levels of help to Pacific migrants as the reason for change.
Radio New Zealand today reported it could see fees for some Pacific migrant families jump from $700 to $1200.
Cabinet is to consider the fees review in June.
The Cabinet paper said that in October 2006 minister had considered a paper on principles for setting immigration fees and had agreed in principle that fee-payers should be responsible for funding a portion of new business development which related to them.
It said the Crown should be responsible for funding costs related to non-fee payers, much of the costs relating to compliance and costs relating to its other objectives such as security and foreign relations.
Mr Cunliffe today said that across-the-board fees had not been reviewed for several years and, in time, consideration would need to be given to whether it was appropriate to make an adjustment.
The existing fee for Pacific Island nations reflected a range of factors, including the special relationship between New Zealand and Pacific countries, the affordability of fees to Pacific people, family ties with the Pacific and the cost of supplying the service when the present fee structure was set.
"I have no plans to recommend the removal of all discounts to Pacific migrants," he said.
Fee-setting was subject to Cabinet decisions and it was far too early to speculate on what those decisions would be.
Mr Cunliffe today told reporters that in his view there was a good case for maintaining some differential for Pacific people.
He said the differential reflected the sort of income levels people had in Pacific Island countries compared to Europe or the United States or some of the Asian countries from which migrants to New Zealand came.
"I think it also reflects some of that historical, constitutional relationships and friendly relations between New Zealand and some of our Pacific forum countries in particular."
He said no decisions on fees and wider issues of the business model for immigration were imminent.
- NZPA
