New Faces, New Futures: New Zealand
Conclusion
Migrants who have made New Zealand their home are important to the country's heritage, culture, and economy. The initial experiences of migrants when they arrive and during their first few years have a significant impact on their longer-term settlement and economic outcomes. These first years, during which migrants orient themselves to their new country, find housing, employment, and new friends and settle into neighbourhoods and schools, are often the most challenging. Understanding the factors relating to successful settlement will contribute to the development of effective immigration policy and settlement services for new migrants.
This report highlights many of the key factors that contribute to the early settlement experiences of new migrants to New Zealand. Findings from the Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand will continuously be used to inform the development of immigration policy. In addition to informing immigration policy, the findings will assist a variety of government agencies and community groups to develop services that will contribute to effective and positive settlement outcomes for migrants.
With these aims, the Department of Labour will be releasing ongoing special topic reports based on the LisNZ that address priority areas. These reports will contain more detailed analysis of key policy issues, thus providing valuable input into the policy review process.
Policy Implications
Sustainable immigration has to create win-win situations for migrants and the receiving country; the findings in this report suggest that this is generally the case for New Zealand. Immigration has been a positive experience for most migrants, judging by how well settled and satisfied they are with their life in New Zealand. Immigration has also benefited New Zealand based on the high number of skilled migrants filling shortages in the labour market. The outcomes of this research are largely positive by world standards; particularly for skilled migration, but also for New Zealand's migration programme overall.
One of the government's key priorities is to better match the skills of migrants with the employment needs of the economy - needs that change as the international and domestic economies change. The results from this, and subsequent reports, will help us to identify the key drivers of migration, and to understand the settlement experiences and outcomes for migrants from particular segments of the migrant population. This information can assist in promoting effective recruitment strategies, as well as providing needed support to migrants facing challenges; thereby maximising the positive outcomes for both migrants and New Zealand. In our competitive and changing immigration environment, it is essential that we continue to attract and support the settlement of skilled migrants who help drive innovation and productivity for New Zealand businesses.
Migrants' employment rates were generally high, especially for Skilled principal migrants. The LisNZ programme will continue to investigate the labour market outcomes for migrants approved through various immigration categories to match the skills of migrants with the employment needs of New Zealand. Labour market demand issues and the employment outcomes for skilled migrants in specialised occupational fields will also be an area for future research.
The results in this report lend strong support to immigration selection policies that value migrants with the language, skills, and previous experience that complement the needs of the New Zealand labour force. For example, the results indicate that better English language skills contribute to the economic and social integration of migrants by improving their employment opportunities and providing them with a wider access to social networks.
A large proportion of migrants had held a temporary visitor, work, or student permit in the three years before gaining residence approval. Not surprisingly, those migrants who had spent two or more years in New Zealand before gaining residence were more likely to feel settled than those who had never visited. This finding, along with the fact that the seeking work rate for onshore applicants is half that of those who applied offshore, suggests that encouraging more migrants to make use of temporary permits before applying for permanent residence in New Zealand may be beneficial to both migrants and New Zealand.
Future Research - The LisNZ Research Programme
The LisNZ research programme provides a unique opportunity to better understand the immigration process over time, from the initial motivations to come to New Zealand right through to medium-term outcomes. While the results presented in this report demonstrate that there are some general trends that apply to aggregated migrant groupings, many of the experiences and settlement outcomes of migrants vary depending on particular sub-group characteristics such as immigration approval category, region of origin, and region of settlement in New Zealand. The scale of the LisNZ allows analysis to be conducted at a level of detail that until now has not been possible. Researchers will make use of the longitudinal immigration data to assess the settlement outcomes and needs of these and other targeted segments of the migrant population and the results used to inform a number of priority areas.
In addition to assessing the economic and social integration of skilled migrants, the LisNZ research programme provides a unique opportunity to examine and understand the integration of smaller and less studied groups of the migrant population including Family Partner, Family Parent, Business, and Pacific migrants.[66] Additionally, the scope of the survey will allow researchers of all backgrounds to use the data to understand many different features of the settlement process.
The results demonstrate that migrants have diverse motivations for choosing New Zealand, including a combination of economic, lifestyle, educational, and safety reasons. As can be seen here, the reasons for choosing New Zealand tend to vary based on such group characteristics as immigration approval category and region of origin. Preliminary research examining how these reasons are associated with the social and economic integration of migrants is already underway.[67]
Migrants' initial settlement experiences were largely positive, as was their overall satisfaction with life in New Zealand. Social networks appeared to play a key role for new migrants. Most migrants had friends and family already in New Zealand before they migrated, and these contacts were most often used as their main source of information. Previous international research has suggested that social networks not only contribute to the social integration of new migrants, but also play a significant role in their economic integration.[68] Future research will examine the impact of wider social networks on migrants' labour market outcomes.
Finally, international comparative research will enable the findings from the LisNZ to be assessed against findings from other surveys. The LisNZ provides information of a consistent nature to that collected by other migrant destinations such as Australia and Canada that have also undertaken longitudinal immigration surveys. Information gained from the LisNZ will provide insight into the New Zealand migration experience, and allow us to make cross-country comparisons to assess the effectiveness of New Zealand's immigration policies on an international level. In a world of increasing competition for skills it is vital that we understand what attracts migrants to New Zealand and what contributes to positive settlement outcomes. In the end, achieving social and economic integration is not only critical for migrants and New Zealand's economy, it is also necessary for the future viability of New Zealand society more generally.
Endnotes
[1] The immigration approval categories used in this report (for example, Skilled principal) are defined in Appendix A.
[2] This figure is based on the 74 percent of migrants who reported an estimate of their income (from all sources).
[3] For more information about New Zealand's expectations around migrant settlement, see Department of Labour. Our Future Together: New Zealand Settlement Strategy, Wellington: Department of Labour, 2007, available from http://www.immigration.govt.nz/community/stream/support/nzsettlementstrategy
[4] Interviews for wave 1 of the pilot survey were conducted six months after residence uptake, in July and August 2001 and the wave 2 interviews were undertaken in July and August 2002. For wave 1 of the pilot survey, 691 migrants were interviewed, of whom 546 were re-interviewed for wave 2. See Department of Labour. Migrants' Experiences of New Zealand: Pilot Survey Report, Wellington: Department of Labour, 2004, available from http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/research
[5] Most of the 'non-response' is due to non-contact rather than respondent refusal to participate. Non-contact was higher for migrants approved offshore, where the response rate was 57 percent compared with 70 percent for those approved onshore.
[6] Secondary applicants are supplementary people included in the application such as partners and children.
[7] Special circumstances exist for these countries - people from Niue, the Cook Islands, and Tokelau are New Zealand citizens, and Australians do not require approval to reside in New Zealand.
[8] Statistics New Zealand. 2006 Census of Population and Dwellings. Wellington: Statistics New Zealand, 2007.
[9] See Appendix B for more information on these streams, and other key terms used in this report.
[10] For more information on residence streams and residence approval categories, see the Migration Trends series, available from the Immigration New Zealand website http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/research.
[11] Refugees are not included in the survey population. The Refugee Voices project and Quota Refugees 10 Years On research programme explore the resettlement experiences of refugees to New Zealand. Visit the Immigration New Zealand website for more details on these projects: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/research.
[12] B Birrell, L Hawthorne., and S Richardson Evaluation of the General Skilled Migration Categories. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2006, available from http://www.pieronline.org/_Upload/Files/2006512103325_GSMReport.pdf.
[13] Appendix A describes how the various immigration approval categories have been grouped to form the analysis groups used throughout this report.
[14] This group consists primarily of migrants approved through the Skilled Migrant Category, but also includes a small number of migrants approved through the General Skills Category (now closed) and the Residence from Work Category.
[15] This category consists of applicants granted residence through various categories not included above. It consists mainly of Family categories (other than Family Parent or Family Partner), including Family Sibling and Family Adult Child (77 percent combined), along with a small number of migrants approved through various International/Humanitarian Stream categories (but excluding refugees).
[16] Region of origin is derived from migrants' passport nationality.
[17] Department of Labour. Migration Trends 2006/07. Wellington: Department of Labour, 2008, available from http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/814ACAD1-743B-4B8E-A4FB-A2B492360FFD/0/MigrationTrends200607.pdf.
[18] The definition of ethnicity/ethnic group implemented for the LisNZ has been adopted from the New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings (Statistics New Zealand, 2006): 'Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups that people identify with or feel they belong to. Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation, as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality or citizenship. Ethnicity is self-perceived and people can belong to more than one ethnic group.'
[19] There is no minimum standard of English language skills for principal applicants applying for residence through the Talent Visa and Long Term Skill Shortage List Occupation residence categories.
[20] Languages were classified using Statistics New Zealand's Standard Classification of Language (1999).
[21] Sourced from the Statistics New Zealand website http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/census-outputs.
[22] This category consists mainly of Family Sibling and Family Adult Child (77 percent), along with a small number of migrants approved through various International/Humanitarian Stream categories (excluding refugees).
[23] Other family combinations could include migrants living with a sponsor who is neither a dependant nor an extended family member, such as a parent living with an adult child, or adult siblings living in the same dwelling.
[24] Sourced from the Statistics New Zealand website http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/census-outputs.
[25]Other temporary permits include mainly student and visitor permits, along with a small number of other classes of temporary permits.
[26] Student permit holders in the Business category are primarily the children (16 years and over) of Business applicants.
[27] Migrants were given a list of 14 reasons and an 'other' option from which to choose.
[28] The first address was the first location lived at for at least one month.
[29] Generally, completing secondary school would account for about 13 years of full-time education.
[30] This included any paid work of one hour a week or more that they had done since leaving college or secondary school.
[31] This question was asked only of those migrants who had lived in their previous country in the two years before their residence approval in New Zealand (65 percent of all respondents).
[32] The Immigration New Zealand Operations Manual is available online. The current version is available from Immigration New Zealand's website http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/operationsmanual.
[33] In this analysis, the Residence from Work policies are subsumed within the Skilled categories. Principal applicants through the Residence from Work policies must meet specific employment requirements to gain residence.
[34] The definitions for involvement in the labour force are aligned with, but not identical to, the concepts and definitions used in the Household Labour Force Survey. The LisNZ does not ask standard job search questions or questions about current availability to start work. Therefore, the definitions for labour force participation rates and seeking work rates used in this report differ slightly from the standard International Labour Organization definitions for labour force participation and unemployment rates.
[35]The target population for the HLFS is the New Zealand civilian, usually resident, non-institutionalised population aged 15 years and over.
[36]A weighted value was calculated based on the spread of LisNZ interviews across the nine HLFS quarters from June 2005 to June 2007.
[37] In a Skilled Migrant Category application, a partner (secondary applicant) must also meet IELTS 6.5, if that person claims points for a job or qualification. The minimum IELTS score is the average across the four bands of listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
[38] Skilled Migrant Category principal applicants are awarded points for age. Those aged 20-29 can claim the maximum points for this factor, with points for age decreasing after this. The Skilled Migrant Category has an age limit of 55 years.
[39] Only migrants who had worked in their previous country in the two years before gaining New Zealand residence are included in this comparison. Based on these parameters, the analysis includes 53 percent of employed migrants.
[40]Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), Australian Bureau of Statistics and Statistics New Zealand, 2006. The ANZSCO defines five skill levels based on formal education and training, previous experience, and on-the-job training.
[41] This figure is derived by matching a respondent's current occupation (coded to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) to occupations on the Department of Labour's Long Term Skill Shortages List (LTSSL) that was in force as at July 2008. It is indicative only and does not assume that the respondent met all other requirements of the LTSSL with regard to their qualifications and work experience.
[42] Migrants through the Pacific categories also have employment requirements.
[43] This figure is derived by matching a respondent's current occupation (coded to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) to occupations on the Department of Labour's LTSSL that was in force as at July 2008. It is indicative only and does not assume that the respondent met all other requirements of the LTSSL with regard to their qualifications and work experience.
[44] Full-time work was defined as working for more than 30 hours per week.
[45] If migrants reported more than one activity, they were asked to state the main activity (the one they spend the most time doing). Migrants who specified more than one main activity were recorded as doing multiple activities.
[46] The Department of Labour's IMSED Research team has undertaken a programme of research on the economic impacts of immigration. Several reports from this programme are available from Immigration New Zealand's Economic Impacts of Immigration website http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/research/impacts.htm.
[47] This analysis is based on the migrant's estimated income from all sources. Seventy-four percent of migrants reported having an income, although 11 percent of those did not provide the value of that income.
[48] The threshold was $25,585 as at September 2004 but was lowered to $24,793 in May 2005.
[49] See the Statistics New Zealand Quick Stats about Incomes website http://www.stats.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/FC6F9795-A534-45BC-97DF-F95FBE2C26E9/0/quickstatsaboutincomes.pdf.
[50] Department of Labour. Migrants' Experiences of New Zealand: Pilot Survey Report. Wellington: Department of Labour, 2004.
[51] Core Work and Income benefits included: Unemployment Benefit (Hardship); Sickness Benefit (Hardship); Emergency Benefit; Emergency Maintenance Allowance; Student Allowance; and Domestic Purposes Benefit.
[52] Exceptions exist where New Zealand has a reciprocal social security agreement with another country. Such arrangements allow former residents of one country access to certain benefits and pensions under the other country's social security system.
[53] The asset values refer to gross values and do not take into account respondents' liabilities.
[54] B Birrell, L Hawthorne, and S Richardson. Evaluation of the General Skilled Migration Categories. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2006, available from http://www.pieronline.org/_Upload/Files/2006512103325_GSMReport.pdf.
[55] J E Hayfron 'Immigrants in the labor market.' In The Cambridge Handbook of Acculturation Psychology, edited by D L Sam and J W Berry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp 439-451, 2006.R Lev-Wiesel and R Kaufman. 'Personal characteristics, unemployment, and anxiety among highly educated immigrants' International Migration 42(3), pp 57-75, 2004.
[56]Rental accommodation is defined as owned by a non-family member not living at the same dwelling.
[57] Sponsors of parents must undertake to provide accommodation and financial support to their relatives for the first two years in New Zealand (if necessary).
[58] This category specifically refers to people living in a dwelling owned by a non-family member not living at the same address. Rental accommodation makes up most of this category.
[59] Formal study or training was defined as any study of at least three months of full-time (or equivalent) enrolment for a qualification such as a university degree, diploma, or a vocational or trade qualification.
[60] Everyone intending a stay in New Zealand for longer than 12 months must undergo medical screening to ensure they have an Acceptable Standard of Health for immigration purposes. In August 2005, a new Medical and Chest X-ray Certificate was issued to support the new health screening framework. The new requirements included additional compulsory blood tests for applicants aged 15 years and over to include HIV, Hepatitis B, full blood count, serum creatinine, and liver function; assessment for critical developmental delay, particularly in children; and assessment for impaired cognitive performance, with compulsory screening for applicants aged 70 and over. Since November 2005, all people entering New Zealand for longer than 12 months must complete a medical certificate using the new Medical and Chest X-ray Certificate.
[61] B R Chiswick and P W Miller. 'Do enclaves matter in immigrant adjustment?' City and Community 4(1), pp 5-35, 2005.
[62] C Ward, S Bochner, and A Furnham. The Psychology of Culture Shock, London: Routledge, 2001, pp 147-150.
[63] In the context of the LisNZ, it is important to distinguish between migrants' perceived discrimination and the legal definition and consequences of discrimination. New Zealand's Human Rights Act 1993 protects New Zealanders from unlawful discrimination in several areas of life. Under the Act, discrimination is unlawful only when it occurs in one of the prohibited grounds and in one of the prohibited areas of public life.
[64] Includes time in New Zealand before gaining permanent residence.
[65] Differences between North America and the UK/Irish Republic and the Rest of Europe were not statistically significant.
[66] R Bedford, A Masgoret, P Merwood, and M Tausi. The Labour Market Dimensions of Pacific Migrants, Asia and Pacific Migration Journal, in press.
[67] J Bryant, and P Merwood (2009) Reasons for migrating and settlement outcomes: Evidence from the Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand. Wellington, NZ: Statistics New Zealand and the Department of Labour. Presented at the Thirteenth Conference on Labour, Employment and Work (LEW 13), December 2008.
[68] B R Chiswick and P W Miller. 'Do enclaves matter in immigrant adjustment?' City and Community 4(1), pp 5-35, 2005.