Modifications to New Zealand's immigration policies have garnered mixed reactions, with fears they still won't ensure the right workers are coming to Aotearoa.
The Government revealed on Wednesday Immigration New Zealand was reshaping and re-starting two key resident visas. In the coming weeks, applications for the skilled migrant visa and the parent resident visa categories would be opened - and the Government said it was looking to simplify the process, too.
Employers and Manufacturers Association head of strategy and advocacy Alan McDonald said on Thursday the changes would help fill massive labour shortages.
"As we've talked about before, there's this critical shortage of people so simple is good - our system's probably a bit complicated at the moment," he told AM.
"We've got multiple skills shortages across a huge range of sectors and industries but we've got a green list, now, that only allows 90 occupations in… so the skilled migrant category will go some way to filling that gap in particular."
The skilled migrant category would work on a points basis. Applicants would gain a certain number of points based on their age, qualifications, experience, salary and whether they had employment lined up in New Zealand.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson hit out at the immigration announcement, calling the points-based system unfair.
The Greens have said migrant workers on lower salaries should too be able to reunite with their families.
"Come on, this is something that we can surely understand - the right to be with your family in New Zealand? That should not be based on your income," Davidson told AM Early.
"The Government's salary-based family reunification policy is absolutely, blatantly unfair."
National Party Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford told Newshub Late the Government had forgotten about workers who didn't have a PhD but were desperately needed.
"We do need really skilled people coming in but we also need people to drive our trucks, we still need people to build on our construction sites and basically they've said to those people, 'You will never get residence because… you will never get enough points because you don't have qualifications,'" Stanford said on Wednesday.
The restarting of residents bringing in their parents, meanwhile, has been welcomed by the likes of Pranav Birla. He'd been waiting to bring in his parents since the previous National Government shut-off the visa six years ago.
"It's been a long journey," Birla said.
"It was quite difficult - every time I'd go visit them, it would be hard to say goodbye because you'd never know when you'd see them next and if you'll see them," he told AM host Ryan Bridge.
Immigration Minister Michael Wood said on Wednesday the Government had listened "closely to the concerns of business" in making the changes.
"Today's changes work in tandem with the immigration changes already made and will help further relieve labour shortages, and ensure a competitive edge to attract talent to New Zealand.
"The skilled migrant category provides a pathway for retaining the majority of these much-needed skills in New Zealand permanently, strengthening our nation's resilience to global shocks and economic security into the future.
"Other professionals such as teachers and registered tradespeople will have a clear route if they work for a period in New Zealand. The new system will improve processing times and there will be no cap on the number of people who can gain residence each year if they meet the skills threshold."
