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Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse is praising a Joint Period of Action carried out by New Zealand and seven other countries to deter people smuggling and trafficking in persons.

Law enforcement and immigration agencies from the eight countries conducted separate but co-ordinated activities as part of a Working Group co-chaired by New Zealand and Sri Lanka under the Bali Process. The Bali

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse welcomes the widespread roll-out of eVisas as a major milestone in modernising travel to New Zealand.

“The expansion of eVisas for online applicants will make the visa application process faster, cheaper and easier,” Mr Woodhouse says.

The roll out means eVisas are now available to the following online applicants:

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse have announced a new student visa designed to make New Zealand more competitive for retaining and attracting top international students.

The Pathway Student Visa will allow international students to undertake a pathway of up to three consecutive programmes of study with selected education providers. A pathway can be offered by a single education provider or in partnership with other selected education providers. They will be valid for a maximum of five years.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse says two recent reports show the huge benefits of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme to employers, workers and the Pacific region.

A report into a pilot project involving 640 Tongan and Samoan RSE workers has found that they sent home more than 40 per cent of their take-home income between November 2014 and June 2015 –an average of between $4,600 and $5,500.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse today announced new rules for Filipino dairy workers who may have provided incorrect information relating to their qualifications and experience with their original work visa applications.

“Today I approved amendments to immigration instructions to allow further work visas to be granted to those workers who admit to previously providing incorrect information,” Mr Woodhouse says.

New measures designed to improve the spread of workers, skills and investment across New Zealand come into effect today.

“The changes, which were announce in July this year, will encourage skilled migrants and entrepreneurs to settle outside Auckland,” says Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse.

“New Zealanders will always be first in line for jobs. But we recognise that for skilled roles that are hard to fill in certain regions we should be doing more to attract and retain high calibre migrants to help those regions grow.”

Justice Minister Amy Adams and Immigration and Police Minister Michael Woodhouse have today met with Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton in Sydney to continue discussions around the deportation of New Zealanders.

“The issue around the deportation of New Zealanders from Australia is a significant issue for us and this meeting was an opportunity to continue to work through our ongoing concerns,” Ms Adams says.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse welcomes the arrest of a dual Filipino / New Zealand national on suspicion of facilitating fraud involving multiple work visa applications submitted by Filipino nationals in the dairy industry.

Mr Woodhouse says an investigation by Immigration New Zealand has uncovered more widespread concerns around the number of Filipino dairy workers currently in New Zealand who may have provided false information as part of their initial visa application.

The Government has today announced New Zealand will welcome 750 Syrian refugees over the next two and a half years in response to the ongoing conflict in Syria, says Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse.

Of the 750 places, 600 will be by way of a special emergency intake above New Zealand’s annual refugee quota of 750, and 150 places will be offered within the quota.

“Like most New Zealanders, the Government is very concerned at the humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Syria and Europe that has visibly worsened in recent times,” Mr Woodhouse says.

The Government will introduce a package of immigration measures aimed at improving the spread of workers, skills and investment across New Zealand, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse says.

“Thousands of people from all over the world are moving to New Zealand because it is a good place to live, work and raise a family,” Mr Woodhouse says.

“Those people make a significant contribution to New Zealand’s economic growth by providing skills, labour and capital we need, along with valuable cultural and business links.

Thank you, Prime Minister for those remarks.

It’s wonderful to be here in Samoa for the annual RSE conference. What an inspired choice of venue and timing by Horticulture New Zealand.

It’s fitting that this conference is being held for the first time in a Pacific Island country as it recognises the invaluable role that countries like Samoa and their RSE workers play in the continued success of the scheme. It also gives employers an opportunity to see how RSE workers’ earnings are being used to support their home communities.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse will travel to Samoa to attend Horticulture New Zealand’s annual Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) conference.

Mr Woodhouse will deliver the key note address to conference delegates.

During the visit, Mr Woodhouse will also visit Poutasi village to view sustainable community and business projects developed by RSE workers.

“I’m delighted that Horticulture NZ took up Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s invitation to hold this year’s conference in Samoa,” Mr Woodhouse says.

A new streamlined labour market test process in Queenstown will benefit employers trying to fill low-skilled vacancies, say Social Development Minister Anne Tolley and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse.

Thank you, Tony. I am very pleased to be here to mark World Refugee Day, being officially held on Saturday.  I want to begin by thanking the New Zealand Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for co-hosting this lunch. I want to also acknowledge the other Members of Parliament here today, the UNHCR Regional Representative, Thomas Albrecht, former refugees and other distinguished guests.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse welcomes the roll out of online Work and Visitor visas as fantastic news for Immigration New Zealand (INZ) customers all over the world.

“Online visas are possible as a result of the development of INZ’s new ICT system, known as Immigration ONLINE,” Mr Woodhouse says.

“The roll out of online Work and Visitor visas follows the success of online student visa applications which have been available online since August last year.”

Budget 2015 will invest $33 million of new operating expenditure over the next four years to boost the number of immigration officers at a time of record-breaking visitor numbers, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse says.

An additional $25.1 million of operating funding from the crown will be accompanied by $7.9 million of cost recovery from immigration fees, to total $33 million of new expenditure on the Immigration frontline. In addition to this new operating expenditure Budget 2015 also includes a $6.6 million capital investment in strengthened border security systems.

An updated Health of Older People Strategy will be completed by the end of the year, Associate Health Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga says.

The updated strategy will take into account changes to the health and disability support service sectors since 2002, the emerging challenges faced by the healthcare system and the development of a new Health Strategy. 

“The financial sustainability of our healthcare system is crucial. This is especially significant given our ageing population,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse today announced changes to immigration policy which will make it easier to recruit and retain migrant workers for the Canterbury rebuild.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment estimates that an additional 5000 construction workers will be needed between December 2014 and the peak of the rebuild in December 2016.

The Immigration Amendment Bill (No 2) which cracks down on employers who exploit migrant workers passed its final reading in parliament today.

“I have been concerned about reports of migrant exploitation and am confident this new legislation will make a big difference in protecting some of our most vulnerable workers, says Mr Woodhouse.

“The fundamental principle is that migrant workers have the same employment rights as all other workers in New Zealand.”

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse have welcomed news that 30 Kiwi employers are travelling to Brisbane to hold on-the-spot interviews for the 1600 jobs that are on offer at this weekend’s job fair.

“New Zealand has a record number of Kiwis in work and an emerging skills shortage,” Mr Joyce says. “Unprecedented growth in building and construction driven mainly by Auckland and Christchurch means that we will need around 26,000 extra tradespeople.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse welcomes new figures out today showing an increasing number of skilled migrants coming to New Zealand as a sign of the country’s strong economic outlook.

The 14th annual Migration Trends and Outlook report shows that the number of Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) residence approvals increased by 12 per cent in the 2013/14 financial year after showing decreases for the previous four years.

Sustainable workforce solutions were at the centre of discussions between Government Ministers and tourism industry representatives in Queenstown today.

Streamlined immigration rules were announced last month as a short term solution to help employers in Queenstown through this period of high demand.

Temporary changes to immigration rules will further help Queenstown employers recruit much needed staff, Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse announced today.

A new streamlined visa process means that from now until June 2015 employers in Queenstown will be temporarily exempt from providing evidence of an attempt to recruit within New Zealand, except for roles that Work and Income has identified it may be able to fill.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse has marked the rebuild of the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre at a sod-turning ceremony this morning.

The Government announced the rebuild of Mangere in the 2013 and 2014 Budgets with estimated project costs of around $21 million.

“The existing facilities at Mangere were built during the Second World War and are in desperate need of replacement. I’m delighted that today’s ceremony officially marks the start of a new revamped Mangere,” Mr Woodhouse says.