New Zealand Loosens Residency Restrictions As Record Numbers Of Kiwis Leave

[RAMROD 117,100]

 

New Zealand is making it easier for migrant workers to come and live in the country, in its latest attempt to bolster the workforce and economy.

Announcing two new residency pathways, the minister for economic growth, Nicola Willis, on Tuesday said skilled and experienced migrants could help plug gaps in the workforce.
 

“Businesses told us it was too hard for some migrants to gain residence, even when they had crucial skills and significant experience that was not available in the existing workforce,” she said in a statement.

The push for foreign workers and investment comes at a time when record numbers of New Zealanders are leaving the country and amid shrinking GDP.

The residency pathways will be introduced from mid-2026. One pathway is for migrants in skilled roles who meet relevant experience and salary thresholds. The second is for migrants in trades and technical roles who meet qualification, work experience and wage thresholds.

Immigration minister Erica Stanford said the skilled work experience pathway was designed to help employers retain experienced workers “who are already contributing to New Zealand’s economy and have demonstrated value in their roles”.

The trades and technicians pathway recognises the practical skills needed in industries where qualifications obtained outside university are used and valued, she said.

New Zealand citizens are leaving the country in record numbers. Between July 2024-2025, 73,400 New Zealanders left, compared with 25,800 returning home to live, according to Stats NZ.

In January, the government relaxed its visitor visa rules to attract so-called “digital nomads”– people who work remotely while travelling – to work in New Zealand. The visa extends to influencers, as long as they are being paid by an overseas company.

In February, the government loosened the requirements for its Active Investor Plus visa – commonly known as the golden visa – which offers residency to wealthy foreigners.

Business New Zealand welcomed the latest change in settings, saying the new pathways will enable employers to retain skilled workers, while Infrastructure NZ called for a more urgent start date.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/23/new-zealand-visa-country-loosens-residency-restrictions-record-numbers-of-citizens-leave

[Economy 52,861]

Do most who leave go to Australia? Id imagine easier immigration beween both Nations with Australia being a bigger higher income economy pushing for this

 

Analagus to Canadians fleeing to US in some sectors thay pay more there (mainly healthcare or IT related jobs where the pay gap is largest)

[Semi Salted 83]

1 hour ago, Economy said:

Do most who leave go to Australia? Id imagine easier immigration beween both Nations with Australia being a bigger higher income economy pushing for this

 

Analagus to Canadians fleeing to US in some sectors thay pay more there (mainly healthcare or IT related jobs where the pay gap is largest)

I moved from New Zealand to Australia in 2022, the pay and opportunities are so much better over here. My income basically doubled overnight 

[sarahb 17,188]

I'm sure the extreme high cost of living in NZ doesn't help. 

[Ayesha Erotica 1,924]

21 hours ago, Economy said:

Do most who leave go to Australia? Id imagine easier immigration beween both Nations with Australia being a bigger higher income economy pushing for this

 

While I cannot answer for 2025, I read a few years ago, that more highly qualified people (HQP) leave NZ for Australia than vice versa. One reason is that Austrlia has two major urban centres (Sydney, Melbourne) the scale of Montréal, and three medium urban centres (Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane) comparable to Edmonton and Calgary, that attract HQP, while NZ largest cities are below a threshold that is overly metropolitan. Kiwis also have to fly to AUS for concerts and it is unusual for global pop stars to perform in NZ. NZ truly is periphery and tbh small. Its catchment area isn't big and basically NZ is the catchment area of AUS, just like the pacific island states around.

Excusez-moi @Economy once you mentioned that you work for an int company that is from another country, if I recall correctly it was from NZ(?)  ??? They also have a small internal market so that companies have to expand overseas to make it big

But you know.... in an era of tarrifs, smaller countries are at a disadvantage in a tariff war as we have seen in  the battle US vs CAN where Canada lost and made a bad deal

It is true that Canada also loses HQP to US  because some US states have very low taxes and warm sunshine like Florida. Like Florida is super popular. And California is technologically big. But Canada still is part of an continuum with the US. And areas within the countries matter more than the countries themselves.

The area Toronto-Ottawa-Montréal-Albany-New York-Boston is very dense and central, it's only 550km from Montréal to NYC which is like the default WORLD city. So companies may settle in Montréal for proximity to NCY.

NZ however is very remote. Honestly, I don't know what is more remote Alaska or NZ.

However, I always used to think of NZ as an economically attractive and successful country nevertheless....what is going wrong there?

[OMF 3,663]

Canada - The Sequel

[OMF 3,663]

22 hours ago, Economy said:

Do most who leave go to Australia? Id imagine easier immigration beween both Nations with Australia being a bigger higher income economy pushing for this

 

Analagus to Canadians fleeing to US in some sectors thay pay more there (mainly healthcare or IT related jobs where the pay gap is largest)

Many migrants go first to NZ and then apply for Australia as it’s always been easier to go there first. But Australia is tightening its migration intake as we have a serious under supply of housing driving real estate prices to through the roof.

Edited September 26, 2025 by OMF

[Economy 52,861]

9 hours ago, OMF said:

Many migrants go first to NZ and then apply for Australia as it’s always been easier to go there first. But Australia is tightening its migration intake as we have a serious under supply of housing driving real estate prices to through the roof.

Yeah, under supy of housing seems to be an issue everywhere these days... crazy

[RAMROD 117,100]

2 hours ago, Economy said:

Yeah, under supy of housing seems to be an issue everywhere these days... crazy

Too many hoomans, not enough space 

[Economy 52,861]

38 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

Too many hoomans, not enough space 

I dont think thats the reason, we have lots of space... and in metros where we dont we build up and make units smaller...

 

I think its a combination of many factors

 

- increased red tape and beaureocracy slowing building times and costs associated with it

- investors playing a higher role in market with deeper pockets to bid up prices

- things like airbnb in some markets steal supply

- the younger generation in many nations is not into physical work anymore leading to labor shortages in construction (i know in my Province at one point 2/3 of trades people were 50 and over )

Edited September 26, 2025 by Economy

[Ayesha Erotica 1,924]

6 hours ago, Economy said:

Yeah, under supy of housing seems to be an issue everywhere these days... crazy

Not in Russia, Japan and China, where there are an increasing number of vacant houses due to demographic decline and overconstruction in China.

I think Austrlia, NZ, California, East Coast and Canada, and UK, and parts of Western Europe are especially hit because they attract HQP (population increase) but HQP don't work in construction sector, so.... Also these are ultra-liberal countries where real estate tycoons buy up houses en masses and treat them like stakes.

 

And well... maybe Poland, too...? Don't they have a stagnating population and a flat country where u can built literally ANYWHERE a house and have cheap ukrainian construction workers that work in ocnstruction?? you can ask your hot Polish wife

3 hours ago, Economy said:

I dont think thats the reason, we have lots of space... and in metros where we dont we build up and make units smaller...

 

I think its a combination of many factors

 

- increased red tape and beaureocracy slowing building times and costs associated with it

- investors playing a higher role in market with deeper pockets to bid up prices

- things like airbnb in some markets steal supply

- the younger generation in many nations is not into physical work anymore leading to labor shortages in construction (i know in my Province at one point 2/3 of trades people were 50 and over )

well, in Québec the  provence (rural areas) is emptying as people leave for Montréal and Québec City, Ontario, rest of Canada is much worse as hyperconcentration on urban areas and smaller cities. I think it is population increase mainly and the simple fact that no matter how large a country is, houses need to be first built and simply do not exist, not even in huge countries, if nobody builds them, and as you say, physical work is passé, out of date, nobody wants to do it anymore, so an overdemand of houses, while a shortage of house bulding capacity.

I think China is extremely smart, they knew that on day they are gonna be a rich country where people dont want to build either way in underpaid construction sector, so they decided to build right now in the present houses en masse, like huge masses of people were bulding houses although people knew most likely half of them will be empty. They did it nevertheless because it deflates house prices, makes houses more affordable as average price sinks and well, China is a nation that thinks of the future.

Edited September 26, 2025 by Ayesha Erotica

[Economy 52,861]

7 hours ago, Ayesha Erotica said:

Not in Russia, Japan and China, where there are an increasing number of vacant houses due to demographic decline and overconstruction in China.

I think Austrlia, NZ, California, East Coast and Canada, and UK, and parts of Western Europe are especially hit because they attract HQP (population increase) but HQP don't work in construction sector, so.... Also these are ultra-liberal countries where real estate tycoons buy up houses en masses and treat them like stakes.

 

And well... maybe Poland, too...? Don't they have a stagnating population and a flat country where u can built literally ANYWHERE a house and have cheap ukrainian construction workers that work in ocnstruction?? you can ask your hot Polish wife

well, in Québec the  provence (rural areas) is emptying as people leave for Montréal and Québec City, Ontario, rest of Canada is much worse as hyperconcentration on urban areas and smaller cities. I think it is population increase mainly and the simple fact that no matter how large a country is, houses need to be first built and simply do not exist, not even in huge countries, if nobody builds them, and as you say, physical work is passé, out of date, nobody wants to do it anymore, so an overdemand of houses, while a shortage of house bulding capacity.

I think China is extremely smart, they knew that on day they are gonna be a rich country where people dont want to build either way in underpaid construction sector, so they decided to build right now in the present houses en masse, like huge masses of people were bulding houses although people knew most likely half of them will be empty. They did it nevertheless because it deflates house prices, makes houses more affordable as average price sinks and well, China is a nation that thinks of the future.

Well when a population decreases of course ull get relief in prices with extra supply. Thats literally adding supply with 0 effort

 

But i dont think its just the population growing. Thats merely 1 factor. Weve had faster consistent population booms in previous times in human history including from the 1950s to 1980s... and housing never got THIS expensive and out if reach

 

I genuinely think building is harder, slower and more beaurocratic now plus fewer young ppl wanna work as construction workers raising labor costs (in my part of Canada a skilled construction worker makes more money than most white colar positions that require college depending what it is)

 

And of course, i think investors play some role

 

 

[50 Ft Queenie 640]

Its like the 2000 exodus to ozzie!

[Helxig 45,366]

On 9/25/2025 at 2:17 PM, Economy said:

Do most who leave go to Australia? Id imagine easier immigration beween both Nations with Australia being a bigger higher income economy pushing for this

 

Analagus to Canadians fleeing to US in some sectors thay pay more there (mainly healthcare or IT related jobs where the pay gap is largest)

EEVERYBODY is f.ucking off to Australia right now. We're losing ALL of our healthcare workers because our piece of sh.it government immediately slashed funding to the healthcare system and has left it decimated. The worst it's ever been. Staff are run ragged and paid so badly they're all leaving to Australia where they get double the money and more staffing/less stress. But they don't give a f.uck because they're all rich pricks who have private health insurance. Our country has always prided itself in having free public healthcare for all, but now we're in a state where you almost need private insurance to even be seen unless you are literally dying. The kicker is that they have given landlords more freedoms but taken away things like the first home buyers grant which gave money to first home buyers to help more people into their first homes (I was lucky under the last government to receive a $5000 grant towards my house deposit to buy my first home). Why? Because they are all landlords with huge investments in property. They're also impacting the rights of the maaori people. And they have also succeeded in twisting the narrative to put all the blame on Jacinda Ardern for putting our country into debt and 'causing' the recession. As if covid didn't happen. And most of our blind, dumb population believe it all and hate Jacinda. She wasn't perfect but she did a MUCH better job at helping the working class and creating equity for all. Cannot wait to vote them out next year

Edited September 27, 2025 by hELXIG

[Helxig 45,366]

On 9/26/2025 at 12:31 PM, Ayesha Erotica said:

However, I always used to think of NZ as an economically attractive and successful country nevertheless....what is going wrong there?

Our current government has driven us into the ground and is blaming the last government for it, when it was COVID that created the recession and our last government did an incredible job keeping us safe and keeping businesses open. They're a corrupt group of conservatives that only work in their own favour to fill the pockets of themselves and their rich friends. The housing market and medical system are in shambles. A small 3 bedroom house in my town can cost between $800,000 and $1million. They just cut services to help first home buyers into their homes (I was lucky to get a $5000 grant towards my deposit two years ago under the last government). Meanwhile they are making things a lot easier for developers and landlords, which is no surprise considering they all have huge investments in property. They've also SLASHED funding to the healthcare system. Healthcare workers are paid so little and so overworked and understaffed they're leaving the country in droves to go to Australia where they get paid twice as much and there is double the staffing/less stress. I just waited 4 weeks to see my GP. Our local hospital just had record wait times in the emergency department. Patients are coming in via ambulance and being left for hours because you can only be seen if you are actively dying. We used to pride ourselves on having a completely free, world class, fully funded and efficient healthcare system. Now you need expensive, private insurance to get on waiting lists. For the first time ever. But they don't care because them and their rich buddies can afford private health insurance. They've cut mental health funding, taken away the smokefree NZ by 2025 goal (to make money of cigarette taxes), given access to pseudoephedrine over the counter again which is a huge contributer to our country's meth problem, taken funding from benefits which has left people on sickness and welfare benefits out on their asses and increased our homeless problem. Talk to anyone here that isn't the wealthiest 5% and they will tell you quality of life has hugely diminished. All while big businesses get tax cuts and get wealthier... add to that so many people leaving/jumping ship, and the fact we already have a small population spread over large areas... it's f.ucked. Everyone I speak to has at least thought about moving to Australia at some point the past year. In summary, the rich get richer and the working class get poorer and less supported

Edited September 27, 2025 by hELXIG