Wellington, April 8: Following nearly record-breaking immigration last year, which it deemed to be "unsustainable," New Zealand said on Sunday, April 7, that it was immediately altering its work visa programme. Some of the modifications include requiring English proficiency for low-skilled occupations and imposing a minimum skill and work experience criteria for the majority of company work visas. For most low-skilled positions, the maximum continuous stay will likewise be lowered from five years to three years.

According to reports, almost record-breaking 173,000 individuals immigrated to New Zealand last year. Australia to Tighten Visa Rules for Students, Skilled Workers in Bid to Fix ‘Broken’ Migration System; Check Details Here.

"The Government is focused on attracting and retaining the highly skilled migrants such as secondary teachers, where there is a skill shortage", Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said in a statement. In addition, we must make sure that New Zealanders are given preference for positions in areas where there is a skills shortage, she added.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic ended, the population of around 5.1 million people in New Zealand has seen a rapid increase in immigration, prompting worries that this was fueling inflation last year. UK New Migration Policy: PM Rishi Sunak’s Government Tables Tougher Visa Rules for Foreign Workers, Clampdown on Bringing Families.

In the next two years, neighbouring Australia, which has also experienced a significant increase in immigration, plans to cut its intake of new arrivals in half. Australia hopes to cut its immigration intake in half over the next two years, therefore it will be enforcing stricter visa requirements for foreign students and low-skilled workers. When introducing the changes, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil emphasised the necessity of reforming what was seen as a "broken" immigration system.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2024 07:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).