NZ First’s Policy of Division: Turning Hatred of Migrants into Political Power
New Zealand First has announced what it describes as a programme of sweeping immigration reform. Its proposals include extending the period required for permanent residence from two to five years and for citizenship from five to ten years; excluding non-citizens from welfare assistance for their first ten years in New Zealand; removing automatic work rights […]
Beyond the Immigration Tap (A long-term policy response to New Zealand’s dependence on temporary migrant labour)
By Alastair McClymont I was recently asked by a political party to provide my view on a long-term policy proposal for addressing a difficult structural problem: how can New Zealand prevent low-quality jobs becoming permanently dependent on low- and semi-skilled temporary migrant workers? The question is important because the usual political debate begins in the […]
Assimilation, Immigration and the Search for Social Cohesion (What belonging should require of migrants, immigration policy and the wider community)
Immigration is moving towards the centre of New Zealand’s 2026 election debate. The language varies. Some politicians speak about social cohesion. Others say migrants must integrate, assimilate, share New Zealand values or become part of the national community. These words are often used as though their meaning were obvious. It is not. The problem is […]
Winston Peters, the Guillotine, and 250 Years of Democracy
“The outrage over the Migrant Workers Association’s mock guillotine misunderstands one of the oldest traditions in Western democracy: symbolic public political theatre.” “It has no place in a democracy.” That was the unmistakable message behind much of the reaction to the Migrant Workers Association of Aotearoa’s symbolic guillotining of Winston Peters. Peters reportedly suggested those […]
Should New Zealand Be Looking More Closely at Former IDF Soldiers Entering the Country?
New Zealand already accepts a simple principle. Some visa applicants deserve closer scrutiny than others. That is not a controversial proposition. Immigration New Zealand’s character instructions already recognise that applicants who have been associated with military organisations implicated in war crimes, crimes against humanity or gross human rights abuses may require additional assessment before they […]
From Residency Pathways to Residency Roadblocks
The Government says it has created two new pathways to skilled residence. What has received far less attention is that, for many occupations, those same changes may simultaneously create new barriers that make residence significantly harder to obtain. This week I was interviewed by the Dominion Post regarding recent amendments to New Zealand’s immigration policy […]
Was Winston Peters Right? The Subtle Immigration Changes Quietly Closing the Door on Indian Migrants
Winston Peters recently claimed that Immigration Minister Erica Stanford had quietly changed New Zealand’s immigration settings in a way that would make it harder for Indian migrants to obtain residence. He also alleged in Parliament that immigration officials had advised the Minister not to publicly announce those changes because of the likely reaction from India […]
The Permanently Temporary Migrant: What New Zealand’s Latest Skilled Migrant Residence Changes tell us about the direction of New Zealand Immigration Policy
In August this year, New Zealand will introduce significant changes to its skilled residence programme, including two new residence pathways: the Skilled Work Experience Pathway and the Trades and Technicians Pathway. The reforms have generally been welcomed within the immigration industry as long-overdue improvements. However, the real significance of these changes lies not in the […]
English Language Requirements
Extended to AEWV Skill Level 3 Roles: What Employers and Migrants Need to Know From 1 June 2026, the minimum English language requirement that has applied to Accredited Employer Work Visa applicants in skill level 4 and 5 occupations now extends to skill level 3. This is a material change for a broad range of […]
Is the MAGA-fication of New Zealand’s Immigration System a Real Risk?
Recently, Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford took questions from the media about the direction of New Zealand’s immigration policy. The Prime Minister was keen to reassure everyone that New Zealand is a sovereign nation and that we make our own immigration policies. Whew. Nothing to worry about then. Except… I’m not […]