The Government has finally announced the Parent Boost Visa - a Visa that was promised as part of both National and Act’s campaign pledges and has taken a little longer than either party (or the hopeful applicants) might have liked, to finally roll out. The actual Visa doesn’t go live until 29 September, but the core components have been released, meaning we know how it will work and there will be plenty of people beginning to prepare their applications to apply later this year. We anticipate that demand for this Visa will be relatively high, given both the number of parents, waiting in the Parent Residence queue, as well as those who may not yet qualify for Residence, but want to join their children and grandchildren in New Zealand.

I am spending ten days in China (currently two days in), travelling first through Shanghai and then on to Shenzhen. It is my second time here, although the first trip was twenty or so years ago, and so this might as well be the first time. I am not going to pretend that spending 10 days in another country, gives me any authority as to why people might decide to leave (and head to NZ), although having lived in the United Kingdom and spending the better part of 12 years travelling for work, I do have some empathy and perhaps recognition for the thoughts that migrants might have as they contemplate a new life in a new country.

Student Visas, or rather international students, are big business for New Zealand Inc. as we export our education services to the world. Given our location, the quality of some of our leading tertiary institutions and the enviable lifestyle we offer, studying in New Zealand is a very attractive option for people coming from a variety of countries. However, it is also a challenging market to sustain, as we compete against so many other locations for that incredibly valuable international student spending.

The United States has made headlines (again) lately, imposing restrictions on international students, and revoking certification from some top tier institutions, largely based on country specific agenda. Obviously there is opportunity in that for New Zealand and a host of other countries to pick up on that demand, bringing those displaced students here.

The coalition Government has a problem and its a fairly big one. Since the borders reopened, our net migration numbers have had more ups and downs than a US trade negotiation. When border restrictions were dropped in late 2022, and with the migrant labour taps having been turned off for two and half years, employers imported talent by the 747 load. Coupled with relaxed visa processing (the rules were the same, just the brakes were taken off), the intake of new kiwis was significant, albeit many of these arrivals actually had no clear pathway to residence.

Fast forward two and half years later, and with an economy fighting back after the covid financial stimulus sugar rush, more New Zealanders are leaving and we have fewer arrivals … arriving. Considering New Zealand has traditionally been a very popular destination for migrants (and arguably still is), something is clearly amiss.