Media release: Auditor-General highlights need for improvements to skilled residence visa system
Immigration New Zealand needs a sharper focus on the skilled residence visa system to maximise its benefits to the country, says the Auditor-General in a new report.
“Skilled residence visa applications make up a small proportion of the total number of visa applications processed each year,” says Auditor-General John Ryan. “But these applicants are a strategically important group who are in demand internationally.
“Well-managed and effective visa systems can give countries a competitive edge in the global market for skills. They also give confidence to migrants, to the public, and to employers who need the skills that migrants bring.”
For this work the Auditor-General wanted to know how well Immigration New Zealand manages its decision-making processes for skilled residence visas, and how well it reports on its performance. Regular, relevant reporting promotes an understanding of how well the immigration system is working and can inform longer-term workforce planning and policy.
The audit found that Immigration New Zealand has a strong focus on managing the quality of its decision making, and is working to improve the experience of its applicants. However, Immigration New Zealand needs more specific information to understand how skilled residence applicants are moving 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,” says Mr Ryan.
“It would also maximise New Zealand’s opportunity to attract the skilled residents we need to meet the country’s long-term skills needs. 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 sees opportunities for Immigration New Zealand to better use the information it has to identify the causes of delays to applications and target improvements to how its systems work for applicants.
The Auditor-General has made five recommendations to support Immigration New Zealand in making improvements to the skilled residence visa system.
“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,” says Mr Ryan.
“Changes are needed if skilled residence visa processing is to work more effectively, and its benefits to New Zealand are to be maximised.”
ENDS