Migration Trends & Outlook 2008/09
9 CONCLUSIONS
Migration is of critical importance to New Zealand and provides significant economic benefit to the country. As well as revenue from tourists and international students, migration provides employers with access to the skills and talents needed to grow New Zealand businesses and to meet skill shortages.
In 2008/09, approximately 1.4 million people were granted temporary visitor, student, or work permits for New Zealand, and 46,000 people were granted permanent residence. The general trend for migration has been one of continual growth.
New Zealand is a successful migrant-receiving country and the majority of permanent migrants are accepted under the Skilled/Business Stream. Migrants continue to come to New Zealand for a variety of reasons, including travel, work, and study, or to start a new life.
The global economic slowdown has had a significant impact on migration flows. In New Zealand, while the demand for temporary migrant workers has decreased and tourism has fallen in some key markets, export education continues to increase and expand into new markets.
It remains vital that we continue to monitor trends in migration to New Zealand. Such monitoring helps us understand the success of current immigration policies and the wider global environment that migration takes place in. Monitoring also draws attention to possible consequences that global trends may have for New Zealand.
