| For the Auckland Jewish Immigration (AJI) organisation, 2017 will be a year of change as immigration policies are progressively introduced by the new coalition government.
Announced by the new coalition are policy changes to reduce the flow of immigrants.
It is impossible to work out at this stage how all this is going to play out. There appears to be a contradiction in intending new policies.
The AJI will be most interested as the new coalition government has committed its self to a record number of houses to be built.
This at a time when there is actually an acute shortage of skilled labour not just in the construction industry and allied connecting occupations as well as in the IT industries but also many other areas such as the trades and hospitality industries.
The AJI doubts that this skilled labour shortfall can come from the unemployment sector now running below 5%.
The new immigration process requirements introduced at the end of August which has lifted the qualifications bar may yet resolve the reduction of immigration numbers without any political intervention.
The newly introduced immigration process has put greater emphasis on the skills levels for those applying for Residency under the Skilled Migrant Visa.
It links the shortage of shortage of skills occupations lists as a preference when intending migrants are endeavouring to secure employment contracts.
Securing a job offer in the area of the intending migrant’s qualifications/work experience is now essential.
Inevitably there will be many would – be immigrants that will not meet the visa work requirements so it is possible that a situation arises that in reality the numbers of skilled workers that New Zealand needs so badly will not be met.
Separately the occupations that are listed on the shortage of skills lists requiring skilled workers are also essential workers needed globally.
Already as an issue is the disparity of higher overseas salaries compared with local wages.
Coupled with this migrants considering immigrating here would not be over impressed by the adverse comments that New Zealand wishes to limit new migrants. |
