Migration Trends 2005/06
Migration Trends 05/06 report - december 2006
Temporary Migration
New Zealand’s growing economy has increased demand for labour, and a low unemployment rate has implications for the supply of labour.
In 2005/06, there has been a strong focus on meeting New Zealand’s labour shortages, and this focus is predominantly on New Zealand’s acute skills needs. Additionally, the high demand for seasonal labour in the horticulture and viticulture sectors saw the introduction of a pilot scheme to help employers in these industries meet their labour shortages by using temporary workers.
Work permits are also issued to young people participating in working holiday schemes, partners of New Zealand citizens or residents, partners of work permit holders, and people applying through the Work to Residence policies. Over 99,500 people were issued a work permit in 2005/06, an increase of 21 percent from 2004/05.
Almost 70,000 students from over 165 nationalities were granted a permit to study in 2005/06. This is down 11 percent from 2004/05.
Student permit numbers have decreased each year after peaking at over 87,000 people in 2002/03. In 2004, the government announced a significant fiscal commitment to international education, and in July 2005, the Department of Labour introduced a range of policy initiatives that aim to make New Zealand a more competitive destination for students and their partners.