Purpose

This report summarises key indicators of migration trends for the 2011/12 financial year to date (1 July 2011 through 30 September 2011). The report’s main focus is on two areas: the New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP) and temporary entry.

All data is sourced from the Department of Labour and, unless otherwise stated, is reported as a count of individual people rather than the number of applications. The purpose of this reporting is to show the number of people who enter New Zealand rather than the number of visas they were granted.  In practice, counting individual people gives lower numbers for temporary workers and students than when reporting the number of applications decided, as individuals can make more than one application in a year.^[1]

Summary of key points

• 9,409 people were approved for residence in July-September 2011, compared to 9,329 for the same period in 2010. The number of people applying through the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) in July-September 2011 decreased by 7 percent compared to the same time in the previous year. The decrease reflects a flow-on effect from the prior decrease in temporary workers. Temporary workers are a key source of future skilled residents.
• 91% of SMC principal migrants were approved with a job or job offer in skilled employment in July-September 2011 compared to 89% in July-September 2010.

• Temporary work approval numbers in July-September 2011 were up slightly on last year due to increases in the number of working holidaymakers and those approved a ‘study to work’ visa.
• Essential Skills work approvals for July-September 2011 decreased by 1 percent from the same period in the previous year.
• In July-September 2011, 20,812 people were approved for a student visa, a 12 percent decrease from 23,751 in July-September 2010. The decrease is due in part to streamlining of the processing of applications, which has smoothed some processing across the year.
• Compared to the same time in the previous year, the Rugby World Cup led to increased visitors in July-September 2011, which were up 16 percent on the same quarter in 2010. Around 80,000 visitors arrived for the Rugby World Cup between July-September 2011.

New Zealand Residence Programme

The New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP) target planning range is 135,000-150,000 permanent residence approvals over the three year period, 2011/12 to 2013/14.

Residence approvals

In July-September 2011, 9,409 people were approved for residence up 1 percent on the 9,329 approved in July-September 2010. Although similar to last year, the current quarter is lower than the same time in 2009 (9,990 approvals). The decline rate for resident applications (14%) remained similar to the previous year (13%). Table 1 shows the breakdown of residence approvals by stream.

Table 1:  Resident approvals by stream^[2]

Stream	July-Sept 2009	July-Sept 2010	July-Sept 2011
Skilled/Business stream	5,840	5,500	4,871
Uncapped Family stream	2,297	2,128	2,484
Capped Family stream	1,329	1,174	1,491
International/Humanitarian stream	524	527	563
Total	9,990	9,329	9,409

The top source countries for residents in July-September 2011 were the United Kingdom (16%), China (14%), India (12%), Fiji and the Philippines (8% respectively).

Compared to the same point last year residents from India increased by 26 percent while Fiji increased by 34 percent.  Of the other top source countries, the United Kingdom decreased by 8 percent, China decreased by 2 percent, while the Philippines did not change.

Skilled Migrant Category (SMC)

In July-September 2011, 4,374 people were approved for residence through the SMC compared with 4,905 in 2010 and 5,341 in 2009. The number of people applying through the SMC in July-September 2011 decreased by 7 percent compared to the same time in the previous year. The decrease reflects a flow-on effect from the prior decrease in temporary workers. Temporary workers are a key source of future skilled residents.

Currently, the top source countries of SMC approvals are the United Kingdom (18%), India (15%), the Philippines (13%), Fiji (8%) and China (7%). SMC approvals from India increased from the same period last year by 23 percent and Fiji increased by 21 percent. The increase from India is due to a growing number of former Indian international students who transition to temporary work and then to permanent residence.

In July-September 2011, 91 percent of SMC principal applicants had a job or job offer (compared with 89% in July-September 2010) and 66% gained points for recognised work experience (compared with 72% in July-Sept 2010).

In July-September 2011, most SMC principal applicants were approved onshore (85%), of whom 98% had a job or job offer. Of the 15% approved offshore, 55% had a job or job offer. Figure 1 shows that the proportion of SMC approvals with a skilled job or job offer in the year to date 2011/12 compared to the 2010/11 financial year.

Figure 1: Proportion of SMC approvals with a skilled job or job offer for 2010/11 and 2011/12

Data table for Figure 1

Temporary migration

Workers

The number of people approved for a work visa in July-September 2011 was 37,398, up from the 35,076 approvals for the same time in the previous year (Figure 2). Working holidaymakers increased 2 percent and those approved a ‘study to work’^[3] visa increased by 10 percent, while Essential Skills decreased 1 percent.

Figure 2: Number of temporary workers (individuals) approved by month 2009/10 to 2011/12 year to date

Data table for Figure 2

The main source countries of temporary workers in July-September 2011 were the United Kingdom and India (14% each), Germany (10%), China (9%), and the United States of America and the Philippines (5% each).

Essential Skills workers^[4]

The demand for Essential Skills workers slowed from October 2008 with the onset of the global recession. Essential Skills work approvals decreased by 1 percent in July-September 2011, compared to the same time in the previous year. The main source countries of Essential Skills workers in July-September 2011 were the United Kingdom (16%), the Philippines (13%), India (10%), Fiji and China (7% each).

Figure 3: Number of Essential Skills workers approved by month 2009/10 to 2011/12 year to date

Data table for Figure 3

Students

In July-September 2011, 20,812 people were approved for a student visa, a 12 percent decrease from 23,751 in July-September 2010. Figure 4 shows the number of students approved per month from 2009/10 to the 2011/12 year to date.

Figure 4: Number of students approved by month 2009/10 to 2011/12 year to date

Data table for Figure 4

In July-September 2011 the largest source countries of students were China (31%), India (14%), South Korea (10%) and Saudi Arabia (5%). Compared with the same time in the previous year; China decreased by 1 percent, India decreased by 16 percent, South Korea decreased by 25 percent and Saudi Arabia decreased by 6 percent. The decrease is due in part to streamlining of the processing of applications, which has smoothed some processing across the year.

Visitors (excluding Australians)^[5]

The number of visitor arrivals at the border increased in July-September 2011 compared to the same time in the previous year (refer Figure 5). This increase is primarily a result of visitors arriving for the Rugby World Cup. The effect of the Rugby World Cup on visitor numbers will be higher as Figure 5 excludes Australians.

Rugby World Cup arrivals were identified by a question on arrival cards. Around 80,000 visitors arrived for the Rugby World Cup between July-September 2011. The top source countries for Rugby World Cup arrivals were Australia, the United Kingdom and France.^[6]

Figure 5: Number of visitor arrivals by month 2009/10 to 2011/12 year to date

Data table for Figure 5

The number of visitor arrivals for July-September 2011 increased by 16 percent compared to the same time in the previous year. The main increase occurred in the month of September 2011 with 100,776 visitor arrivals, up from 65,001 for the same month in 2010.

The top source countries for visitor arrivals July-September 2011 were the United Kingdom (16%), the United States of America and China (11% each), France (9%) and Japan (6%). Compared to the same time in the previous year, there was an increase in visitors from the United Kingdom (42 percent increase), China (17 percent increase), and France (77 percent increase). The United States of America decreased (10 percent decrease), as did Japan (20 percent decrease).

For further information please visit http://dol.govt.nz/research or email research@dol.govt.nz

 

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