New visa under fire

A new visa policy to let overseas skilled graduate workers come to New Zealand to look for jobs is being criticised by migrant advocacy groups.

The Silver Fern job search visa will allow 300 overseas graduates aged between 20 and 35 to stay for up to nine months to seek skilled employment.

Immigration New Zealand predicts it will be in high demand.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said the new scheme would help attract young people with the right skills, but Migrant Action Trust spokeswoman Agnes Granada said:

"It's too late when these people come here and realise there are no jobs. They get stuck here and the Government doesn't care. It is left to people like us to pick them up."