Auditor-General John Ryan highlighted concerns about New Zealand’s immigration system, particularly its management of skilled residence visas, which constitute only 1.4% of total visas issued.
“Skilled residence visa applications make up a small proportion of the total number of visa applications processed each year,” says Ryan.
“But these applicants are a strategically important group who are in demand internationally,” he added.
In his remarks regarding a report, titled “Immigration New Zealand: Managing how it makes decisions about skilled residence visas,” Ryan emphasised that an effectively managed visa system can provide countries with a competitive advantage in the global skills market. He stated that such systems also instill confidence among migrants, the general public, and employers who rely on the expertise that these migrants contribute.
The Auditor-General sought to assess how effectively Immigration New Zealand manages its decision-making processes regarding skilled residence visas and how well it reports on its performance. Consistent and relevant reporting enhances understanding of the immigration system’s effectiveness and can aid in long-term workforce planning and policy development.
The report revealed that Immigration New Zealand places a strong emphasis on ensuring the quality of its decision-making and is actively working to enhance the applicant experience. However, it also indicated that Immigration New Zealand requires more detailed information to effectively track the progress of skilled residence applicants through its decision-making process.
“A clearer focus on this type of visa would help Immigration New Zealand to know whether its processes are working effectively for skilled residence applicants and give it the information it needs to report effectively on how well this part of the immigration system is working,” Ryan commented.
“Immigration New Zealand needs to know what improvements to processes it could make to strengthen the country’s ability to attract and retain this sought-after group of migrants.”
The Auditor-General recognises opportunities for Immigration New Zealand to enhance its use of existing data to pinpoint the reasons behind application delays and to implement targeted improvements in its systems for applicants.
He has also provided five recommendations to assist Immigration New Zealand in enhancing the skilled residence visa system.
These recommendations include prioritizing efforts to allow skilled residence visa applicants to easily monitor the progress of their applications and facilitate the seamless transition of applicants between various types of visas; skilled residence visas in all facets of its monitoring and reporting on the visa system; using the information it already gathers more effectively to assess the performance of the skilled residence visa system for specific groups of applicants and to help identify areas for improvement; and establishing a strategy for reviewing and reporting on the long-term outcomes of the skilled residence visa system that will enable Immigration New Zealand, Parliament, and the public to assess how effectively the system attracts and retains the necessary skills for New Zealand over time.
“Changes are needed if skilled residence visa processing is to work more effectively, and its benefits to New Zealand are to be maximised,” Ryan said.
“Making these improvements will require shifts in the way that Immigration New Zealand thinks about applicants for skilled residence visas and their place in the wider immigration system.”