Immigration Policy

Looking abroad these days it’s easy to see why so many people want to move to New Zealand. We’ve got some great things going for us, but we can’t let every Tom, Dick and Harriett in, or our country physically and economically won't be able to cope.

First up, TOP believes immigration reform must be colour-blind and without fear or prejudice. Anyone who calls New Zealand home is a New Zealander, and TOP’s priority is to make the system work better for everyone, including new migrants. But it’s a fine balance - on the one hand NZ needs highly-skilled professionals like doctors, ICT experts and engineers to help us grow and look after ourselves. But on the other hand we don't need migrants competing for any jobs that New Zealanders should be first in the queue for. This just results in keeping wages down and contributes to unemployment.

So what is TOP going to do about this in the first instance?

1. TOP will use the Covid-19 border restrictions as an opportunity to overhaul the immigration system. This will include:
   • imposing a minimum standard of English competency
   • ensuring there is a strong business case for any migrants working in jobs receiving less than the average wage
   • streamlining and fast-tracking the process for those who do meet the updated immigration criteria
2. TOP proposes to make all Family Partnership residence visas conditional on a three year period, during which time the couple will be required to provide evidence the relationship is genuine and stable.
3. In the interim, TOP will end the practice of open-work visas for graduates. Only those graduates that meet the updated skill shortage criteria will be entitled to remain in New Zealand upon completion of studies. There is abundant evidence that most international students came here to complete low-level courses and upon graduation have gone on to work semi-skilled service jobs, thus competing with New Zealanders in the labour market.
4. TOP will establish a new class of “climate change refugees” for people from Pacific Island countries (such as Kiribati and Tuvalu) sinking into the ocean. These are our people, and TOP believes that we have an obligation to help them, since we have contributed to the issues they face.
5. TOP believes it is time to review our open borders with Australia. Given the treatment of Kiwis in Australia, and the risk of 25 million Australians wanting to move here as climate change worsens, it is timely that we review this situation with haste.

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Page last updated on 30-Sep 2020