Act Party Leader David Seymour delivers an immigration policy announcement.
Video / NZ Herald
Act will campaign on barring new residence class visa migrants from accessing social welfare during their first five years here and for Immigration New Zealand to have a specialised enforcement unit targeting people who overstay their visas.
The party released its immigration policies for the election this morning, unveilinga six-point plan it says will “welcome people” with shared values and who “play by the rules”.
Act leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said New Zealand was a “settler society” that had been “built by people willing to make a journey to try and build something better”.
“Successive governments have let a skilled-migration system become a general-purpose labour tap. They have failed to enforce the rules they set,” he said.
“We need an immigration system that recognises New Zealand’s heritage as a nation of settlers. We need new migrants to grow and develop, but that migration must work for New Zealand.”
1. Serious offenders deported no matter how long they have been in New Zealand
The coalition is extending the time a resident visa holder who has been convicted of a serious offence (carrying sentences of 10 years or more) can be liable for deportation from 10 to up to 20 years.
Act wants this to be changed again to allow these resident visa holders to be deported no matter how long they have been here.
2. Skill categories expire every year
Act wants the skill categories for which employers can hire immigrants on work visas to expire every year and require those employers to show “up-to-date evidence of demand” for the category to stay open.
3. Five-year welfare stand-down
The party will campaign on introducing a five-year stand-down period for all residence class visa holders to access social welfare. This would bar these people from accessing payments such as Jobseeker support or accommodation supplements for their first five years in New Zealand.
Act would introduce a $6 per day infrastructure surcharge on temporary work visas, on top of existing charges, which would be considered a migrant’s contribution to New Zealand’s infrastructure. The fee would be imposed from day one.
5. Stronger English language requirements
Basic English language requirements would be extended to all accredited employer work visas but still permit lower standards for seasonal workers.
Act wants to establish a dedicated overstayer enforcement unit under Immigration New Zealand. Platform employers such as Uber and DoorDash would be required to verify and report work rights. Employers who facilitated overstaying would lose their accreditation.
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.
