Hon Michael Wood

Minister of Immigration Michael Wood will travel to Washington D.C this week to represent New Zealand at the annual Five Country Ministerial.

Changes to post-study work requirements, taking effect from today, will give certainty to international students studying advanced qualifications and will better align with New Zealand’s skills and workforce needs, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced.

Communities around New Zealand will benefit from upgraded, safer, and more people-friendly streets as the result of the Government’s Streets for People programme, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today.

​​​​​​​The Government is delivering on its promise of a responsive and streamlined immigration system to help relieve workforce shortages while providing meaningful humanitarian support, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced. 

The communities of Māngere and Onehunga share a greater connection today with the opening of the Old Māngere Bridge Replacement, delivering environmental, social and economic benefits.

Safer journeys for young and old in Wellington’s Eastern Bays are a step closer today, after a huringa nuku (sod turning ceremony) led by Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui to mark the start of construction for Tupua Horo Nuku Eastern Bays shared path.

The Government is taking steps through the revitalised and streamlined immigration system to help relieve workforce shortages facing New Zealand businesses in a suite of measures announced today.

More than a third of eligible migrants are now New Zealand residents thanks to the Government’s one-off, simplified path to residence, providing a way forward for migrant families and certainty for New Zealand businesses.

Workers and public transport users are at the heart of the new Sustainable Public Transport Framework, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today.

Streets will soon be able to be transformed from unsafe and inaccessible corridors to vibrant places for all transport modes thanks to new legisla

With additional trains operating across the network, powered by the Government’s investment in rail, there is need for a renewed focus on rail safety, Transport Minister Michael Wood emphasised at the launch of Rail Safety Week 2022.

This evening marks the final step in the Government’s reconnecting plan, with visitors from non-visa waiver countries and international students able to apply for a visa to enter New Zealand.

The implementation of the Government’s immigration rebalance is progressing well, with details released today on how highly skilled migrants, including those with roles on the Green List, can apply to gain residence once they have arrived in New Zealand.

As part of the Government’s Immigration Rebalance strategy, changes to New Zealand’s investor visa settings will be made to attract experienced, high-value investors bringing growth opportunities to domestic businesses.

The Government is providing significant additional cost of living support and is fighting inflation by extending the reductions to fuel excise duty, road user charges and half-price public transport by more than five months until the end of January next year.

The Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway will open this week, marking the final chapter of a 30 year roading project that will improve safety, reduce travel times, and boost economic growth.

The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood has today announced the appointment of Geoffrey Summers as the Chair of the Remuneration Authority (the Authority) for a three-year term.

The third and final stage of the new simplified Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) policy opens today.

The Government’s Clean Car Discount Scheme has been a success, with more than 57,000 light-electric and Non Plug-in Hybrid vehicles registered in its first year of operation, the most on record.

The Government is progressing a preferred option for LGWM which will see Wellington’s transport links strengthened with light rail from Wellington Station to Island Bay, a new tunnel through Mt Victoria for public transport, and walking and cycling, and upgrades to improve traffic flow at the Basin Reserve.

Transport Minister Michael Wood has welcomed the announcement that a 110km/hr speed limit has been set for the SH1 Waikato Expressway, between Hampton Downs and Tamahere.

Paid Parental leave entitlements will increase on 1 July, resulting in up to $40 extra a week for new parents, or up to an additional $1040 for those taking the full 26 weeks of parental leave.

Michael Wood has announced he will travel today to the International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS), hosted by the European Association for Electromobility in Oslo, Norway.

The Government has welcomed the outcome of the International Labour Organisation’s consideration of New Zealand’s Fair Pay Agreements (FPA) system, following a complaint made to it by BusinessNZ.