The Immigration Minister of New Zealand, Michael Woodhouse announced a package of changes on 19 April 2017 and hinged it on improving the quality of migrants coming to New Zealand.
Changes to Permanent immigration: Introduction of two remuneration thresholds for applicants applying for residence under the Skilled Migration Category (SMC):
- One remuneration threshold will be set at the New Zealand median income of $48,859 a year for jobs that are currently considered skilled.
- The other threshold will be set at 1.5 times the New Zealand median income of $73,299 a year for jobs that are not currently considered skilled but are well paid.
The SMC points table, under which individuals claim points towards their residence application will also be realigned to put more emphasis on characteristics associated with better outcomes for migrants.
The changes will be implemented in mid-August 2017.