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Each year, the New Zealand Cabinet reviews the number of places available to people wishing to immigrate to the country under the New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP). For the 2008 - 2009 financial year, the number of available immigration spots will stay the same at 45,000 to 50,000 places.
New Zealand, like Australia, depends heavily on skilled immigration to fill labor shortages. Approximately sixty percent of available places under the NZRP will be filled by skilled and business immigrants.
Thirty percent of available places will be set aside for reuniting families applying through family categories and ten percent will be used for humanitarian purposes and international commitments.
"The number of places decided by the Government balances the needs of the labour market, New Zealand's ability to accept new migrants, and our international obligations," Immigration New Zealand said in a statement. "The NZRP makes an important contribution to the skills New Zealand has in its workforce, leading to the growth of the economy."
New Zealand uses a points based system called the Skilled Migrant Category to assess potential immigrants based upon factors such as age, qualifications, and work experience.
For people looking to live and work in New Zealand, we provide a free initial assessment.
We also provide a skilled migration points calculator for individuals to quickly assess their chances of being successful in their application for New Zealand immigration under the Skilled Migrant Category.
