Have Your Say: The Future Of New Zealand's Skilled Migrant Category

Business NZ need your input on proposed policy changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). SMC is the main pathway for residency for skilled workers migrating to New Zealand.

The policy would:
- Change the points system for pathways to residency based on qualifications, income, professional registration and skilled work in NZ;
- Reinstate the two year stand down for "lower skilled" workers;
- Remove the planning range and process all those eligible under the criteria;
- Put in place special provisions for retail and hospitality as "high risk industries."

Business NZ supports simplification of the points system, but considers there still need to be points allocated and pathways to residency for vocational level skills, regional placements, and stable employment where there are long-term and systemic labour shortages.
We also support processing all of those eligible under the criteria and removing the planning range.

View the policy draft here. Then provide your feedback via email submission by COB TODAY Thursday 17 November to rsimpson@businessnz.org.nz or complete the survey in the link below.