New Zealand 2026 election: migration, skilled workers and settlement services

Current as at 12 October 2026 · New Zealand-wide · General election: 7 November 2026

The main difference between the parties is how much migration New Zealand should allow, how closely visas should be tied to genuine skills shortages, and what rights and support people should receive when they settle here.

The campaign positions fall broadly into three approaches:

• National: continue a managed immigration system that attracts skilled workers and gives eligible migrants pathways to residence.
• Labour: plan migration around workforce, housing and infrastructure capacity, while improving migrant protections and integration.
• The Greens: emphasise humane settlement, migrant-worker rights, refugee support and inclusive communities.
• ACT and New Zealand First: propose tighter conditions, stronger enforcement and longer waits or restrictions on some benefits and residence rights, though their approaches differ substantially. New residence options to bolster workforceRelease: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New ZealandManifesto 2026ACT New ZealandNZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies

Here is a closer comparison of the main parties, focusing on your three areas of interest.

1. Migration levels and who should be able to come

National

National has not set out a simple numerical target for annual net migration in the material reviewed. Its approach is to manage migration through visa settings, labour-market needs and enforcement, while attracting people who can contribute to economic growth. Its policies also tighten some compliance requirements and provide new skilled-residence pathways. New residence options to bolster workforceEnglish language requirement extended to AEWV skill level 3 rolesMore resources to combat migrant exploitation

Labour

Labour proposes planning immigration against the country's workforce and demographic needs, housing supply and infrastructure capacity. It would introduce a Government Policy Statement on immigration to guide those decisions. It also proposes reviewing parent-visa financial, health and English-language requirements and creating a citizenship pathway for children born in New Zealand to undocumented parents who meet its proposed conditions. Release: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New ZealandNZ Election 2026: Immigration Policy by Party

Green Party

The Greens oppose blaming migrants for wider economic and public-service problems. Their 2026 manifesto emphasises welcoming, safe and fair pathways to make New Zealand home, alongside refugee protection and migrant rights. Their established policy also supports climate-displacement provisions and greater refugee support. Manifesto 2026Luxon chooses to join the anti-migrant bandwagonImmigration and visas: party comparison 2026

ACT

ACT supports immigration where it meets real economic needs, but wants tighter checks on whether those needs persist. It proposes reviewing work-visa skill categories annually, stronger English requirements, more enforcement against overstaying and a daily infrastructure surcharge for temporary work visas. It has not specified a general numerical cap on total migration in its published six-point plan. ACT New ZealandImmigration and visas: party comparison 2026

New Zealand First (NZ First)

NZ First proposes substantially reducing what it calls non-essential immigration. It wants a referendum on a legislated cap of 20,000 resident visas per year, linked to infrastructure capacity and long-term population planning. This is a proposed referendum, not an existing cap. It also wants to restrict international students' automatic work rights. NZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies

The key distinction is that a resident-visa cap is not the same as a cap on all migration. Temporary workers, international students, returning New Zealanders and people departing the country affect overall net migration differently. NZ First's proposed 20,000 figure specifically concerns resident visas.

2. Skilled workers, work visas and pathways to residence

This is an important area of difference for people considering moving to New Zealand, employers recruiting overseas, and migrants already working here.

Party	Main approach
National	Expand and refine skilled-residence routes for workers with relevant experience, qualifications and New Zealand work history.
Labour	Attract needed skills while improving job mobility and protection against exploitation.
Greens	Strengthen migrant-worker rights and fair pay, and ensure essential workers are not excluded from pathways to residence.
ACT	Keep work visas focused on demonstrable skill shortages, with annual reviews and stronger English-language requirements.
NZ First	More restrictive approach to residence pathways, with greater emphasis on domestic workers and short-term labour needs.

New residence options to bolster workforceRelease: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New ZealandImmigration and visas: party comparison 2026ACT New ZealandNZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies

What each party's proposals mean in practice

National: more defined routes for skilled workers

National's government has introduced two new Skilled Migrant Category residence pathways, effective from 24 August 2026:

• Skilled Work Experience: for eligible skilled workers with five years of relevant experience, including two years in New Zealand at the required wage.
• Trades and Technician: for eligible tradespeople and technicians with relevant qualifications and four years of post-qualification experience, including 18 months of qualifying New Zealand work.

Occupation eligibility, wage thresholds and other requirements apply. These are implemented government changes, rather than merely campaign promises. Final details about changes to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa and work to residence visas :: Immigration New ZealandFurther changes to the Skilled Migrant Category to come into effect on 24 August 2026 :: Immigration New Zealand

Source: Immigration New Zealand — Skilled Migrant Category changes

Labour: flexibility and protection at work

Labour proposes allowing eligible migrant workers to move between accredited employers after three months, strengthening the Accredited Employer Work Visa system and improving access to support in their communities.

Its stated aim is to attract needed skills without leaving migrants vulnerable to exploitation by an employer who controls their job and visa circumstances. Release: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New Zealand

Greens: fair conditions and accessible settlement

The Greens' published immigration policy supports equal pay and conditions for temporary migrant workers compared with local workers, as well as pathways to residence for people already contributing to their communities. The party has also argued for better residence options for lower-paid essential workers who may not qualify under conventional skilled-migration criteria. Immigration and visas: party comparison 2026News - Democracy and International RelationsManifesto 2026

ACT: visas should track actual shortages

ACT proposes that each Accredited Employer Work Visa skill category expire annually unless current evidence justifies keeping it open. It would extend basic English requirements across these visa types, with lower standards permitted for seasonal workers.

The party says the aim is to keep skilled migration available for genuine shortages rather than leave visa categories open when demand has changed. ACT New Zealand

NZ First: prioritise domestic workers and restrict some pathways

NZ First opposed the government's 2025 expansion of skilled-residence pathways for existing work-visa holders. It proposed extending work visas by three years to address short-term demand instead of granting residence through those changes. That was a previously published position, so it should be distinguished from the party's newer September 2026 campaign package. Immigration and visas: party comparison 2026

Its latest package also seeks to restrict international students' work rights and proposes extending the time required to qualify for permanent residence from two to five years. NZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies

3. Settlement services, permanent residence and migrant rights

Settlement services include English-language learning, orientation to New Zealand life, employment support, help navigating public services, community connections and refugee resettlement.

The parties' policies differ not just on access to these services, but also on how long migrants should wait for permanent residence and access to public assistance.

Party	Settlement and residency position
National	Continues skills-based residence routes and has funded additional compliance and investigation resources to address migrant exploitation. Its policy changes also include adjustments to the Parent Resident Visa selection process. More resources to combat migrant exploitationImmigration and visas: party comparison 2026
Labour	Proposes increasing the qualifying period for permanent residence from two years to four, accompanied by a New Zealand orientation and civic-education programme delivered through community education providers. It also proposes stronger community support for exploited workers. Release: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New Zealand
Greens	Support increasing the refugee quota and resourcing refugee services, fair treatment of migrant workers and more humane pathways to settlement. The party also supports immigration provisions for people displaced by climate change. Immigration and visas: party comparison 2026Manifesto 2026
ACT	Proposes a five-year stand-down from jobseeker support, the accommodation supplement and other income-tested benefits for residence-class visa holders. It also proposes a NZ$6-per-day surcharge on temporary work visas to contribute towards infrastructure. ACT New Zealand
NZ First	Proposes a ten-year stand-down from specified welfare benefits for non-citizens, extending the permanent-residence qualifying period to five years and the citizenship qualifying period from five to ten years. It also proposes a referendum on a resident-visa cap. NZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies

Where settlement policy differs most

• Orientation and integration: Labour has an explicit proposal for a formal orientation and civic-education programme. The Greens emphasise inclusive communities and humane settlement. ACT stresses English proficiency, contribution and compliance, while NZ First puts more emphasis on integration into a shared national community. Release: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New ZealandManifesto 2026ACT New ZealandNZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies
• Refugees and humanitarian pathways: The Greens explicitly support an increased refugee quota and better-funded refugee services. Labour proposes protecting humanitarian appeals against deportation. NZ First proposes more restrictive asylum-seeker rules, including making protected-person status temporary by design and restricting certain asylum claims. Immigration and visas: party comparison 2026Release: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New ZealandNZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies
• Welfare access: ACT proposes a five-year stand-down; NZ First proposes ten years. These are different from residence eligibility requirements and would affect migrants' access to specified public benefits. ACT New ZealandNZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies
• Permanent residence: Labour proposes four years before eligibility, NZ First proposes five years, and ACT proposes abolishing permanent resident visas. National has publicly rejected ACT's proposal to abolish permanent residence. Release: Labour to ensure an immigration system that works for New ZealandNZ Election 2026: Immigration Policy by Party

One important distinction: settlement services are not the same as welfare benefits. English classes, refugee resettlement, community orientation and employment assistance are separate from income-tested financial assistance. A proposal to restrict benefit eligibility does not, by itself, establish that a party would remove every form of settlement support.

4. What about Te Pāti Māori and smaller parties?

For Te Pāti Māori, Opportunity and smaller registered parties, the published evidence is less complete or less specific across all three areas.

• Te Pāti Māori: Cross-party trackers have not identified a detailed, current 2026 immigration package comparable with the policies above. Its historical positions should not be treated as its current election policy without confirmation. NZ Election 2026: Immigration Policy by PartyImmigration and visas: party comparison 2026
• Opportunity Party: The available cross-party policy tracker did not identify a sufficiently detailed, citable immigration position in its review. That does not mean the party has no view. Immigration and visas: party comparison 2026

For the broader election comparison, Policy.nz's 2026 election guide allows you to explore migration policies, while The Conversation's 2026 policy tracker covers campaign promises across several policy areas.

5. How to compare the policies for your own circumstances

If you are weighing up these parties' positions, three practical questions can help you identify the differences that matter most:

• If you are a skilled worker or employer: Look at occupation eligibility, salary requirements, the ability to change employers, and the route from a temporary work visa to residence.
• If you are already living in New Zealand: Look at permanent-residence eligibility, citizenship timelines, welfare stand-down proposals and protections against exploitation.
• If you are focused on settlement and community wellbeing: Look at funding for refugee services, English-language and orientation programmes, employment support, family reunification and access to public services.

Finally, these are campaign positions as at 12 October 2026, not a guarantee of what will become law. Under New Zealand's MMP system, the policies a party can implement will depend on the parliamentary numbers and coalition agreements after the election.

The clearest overall divide is between parties that place greater emphasis on structured settlement, migrant protections and humanitarian support, and those that place greater emphasis on limiting or conditioning access, matching visas to verified labour demand, and restricting some residency or benefit entitlements. Within each group, there are meaningful differences in the detail, especially around skilled workers and the length of time required to settle permanently.