This report is the seventh in a series produced annually to provide information about trends in temporary and permanent migration to New Zealand. This report provides data for the 2006/07 financial year, with a special feature on major immigration policy changes from 1986 to the present.
Immigration brings a wide range of benefits to New Zealand – economic, social, cultural – as well as contributing to humanitarian and international relations objectives. Immigration supports economic growth through the introduction of skills and innovation, boosts export industries such as tourism and education, and generates revenue from taxation and other sources. Immigration also supports families through reunification, and strengthens New Zealand’s international relations by supporting development and trade, and upholding international humanitarian obligations and commitments.
New Zealand’s skilled immigration policies have a strong focus on meeting New Zealand’s skills shortages, and this focus is predominantly on acute skills needs. However, there is increasing demand for immigration policies to assist with recruiting labour across a broader skill spectrum, as New Zealand continues to experience sustained economic growth and low unemployment.