# Question 136: For the 2026 New Zealand general election: What are parties' current positions on migration levels, skilled workers and settlement services? Collected 31 October 2026 [NZ Election 2026 · Edition 7 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/7) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: 4ad5c492-e3d0-4269-9068-90e40b221cc3 # New Zealand 2026 general election: Immigration and migration policies Position as at 30 October 2026 · Nationwide comparison · Party proposals and published policy Immigration is an area of considerable difference between the parties in the 2026 election. The main disagreement is not simply whether New Zealand needs migrants, but how many should arrive, which skills should be prioritised, how easily migrants should obtain residence, and what support they should receive after arriving. There are three particularly important dimensions: 1. Migration levels: Should New Zealand reduce immigration, maintain controlled levels or make it easier to attract migrants? 2. Skilled workers: How should New Zealand recruit workers for genuine shortages, and what pathways should they have to permanent residence? 3. Settlement services: What should be provided to help migrants, refugees and their families integrate, find work and participate in New Zealand society? Below is a comparison of the major parliamentary parties, followed by some smaller-party positions where information is available. ## 1. Party-by-party comparison ### National Party Skills and economic growth focus Migration levels - Supports managed immigration, with an emphasis on attracting migrants who contribute to economic growth. - Has not published a specific overall annual migration reduction or cap as a central 2026 election commitment. - Emphasises balancing skilled migration with infrastructure capacity and prioritising New Zealand workers. Skilled workers - Has introduced two additional skilled residence pathways: - Skilled Work Experience: for migrants with at least five years of relevant experience, including two years in New Zealand at the specified wage threshold. - Trades and Technician: for qualified workers with at least four years of relevant post-qualification experience, including 18 months in New Zealand. - Wants to make it easier for employers to retain experienced migrants. - Has also extended minimum English-language requirements for Accredited Employer Work Visa applicants in skill level 3 roles. Settlement services - No major new, separately costed migrant settlement-services programme was identified in its published 2026 election material. - Its approach is more focused on employment, skills, employer needs and compliance. Sources: [New residence options to bolster workforce](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20250923-hon-nicola-willis-new-residence-options-to-bolster-workforce)[Immigration](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-immigration/)[2026 Election Policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies) ### Labour Party Managed migration and migrant protection Migration levels - Proposes planning immigration through a Government Policy Statement. - The framework would consider: - Workforce demographics. - Housing availability. - Infrastructure capacity. - Long-term economic requirements. - Its published policy does not specify a firm numerical immigration cap. Skilled workers - Wants to strengthen the Accredited Employer Work Visa system. - Proposes allowing migrants to move between accredited employers after three months. - Seeks to reduce migrant exploitation and improve access to community support. - Wants immigration to complement the domestic workforce rather than operate independently of workforce planning. Settlement services - Proposes extending the period before migrants become eligible for permanent residence from two to four years. - Would accompany this with New Zealand orientation and civic education delivered through community education providers. - Wants to improve migrants' access to support within their communities. - Proposes expanding Pacific visa-waiver access to citizens of Pacific Islands Forum countries. This means Labour combines more structured immigration planning with a stronger emphasis on migrant protection and integration. [Immigration](https://www.labour.org.nz/immigration)[Immigration](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-immigration/) ### Green Party Migrant rights and humanitarian approach Migration levels - Opposes an approach centred on reducing immigration numbers without considering humanitarian, environmental and social obligations. - Supports a fair, flexible and sustainable immigration system. - Wants Māori to have a partnership role in determining immigration policy under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Skilled workers - Supports equal pay and working conditions for temporary migrant workers and New Zealand workers. - Wants migrant employment conditions to be fair and non-discriminatory. - Supports family reunification and fair immigration pathways. Settlement services - Supports increasing the refugee quota. - Explicitly proposes providing the additional resources needed for adequate refugee settlement services. - Wants migrants and refugees to feel welcomed and included in New Zealand society. - Advocates a Pacific Passport to facilitate movement between Pacific countries and New Zealand. - Supports immigration provisions for people displaced by climate change. The Greens have a particularly explicit focus on refugee services, inclusion, migrant rights and the social dimensions of settlement. [Immigration Policy](https://www.greens.org.nz/immigration_policy)[Green Party: policies and record 2026](https://partymap.co.nz/parties/green/) ### ACT New Zealand Tighter controls and skills-based migration Migration levels - Does not make a fixed numerical immigration cap its central proposal. - Wants immigration to be more closely connected to genuine labour shortages and infrastructure capacity. - Argues that immigration should contribute to the country's economic and infrastructure development. Skilled workers - Proposes automatically reviewing and expiring Accredited Employer Work Visa skill categories every year unless employers can demonstrate continuing demand. - Wants English-language requirements across all Accredited Employer Work Visa categories, with exceptions for seasonal workers. - Wants migrants to contribute to infrastructure through a proposed NZ$6-per-day surcharge on temporary work visas. Settlement services - Proposes a five-year welfare stand-down for residence-class visa holders, affecting access to jobseeker support, accommodation supplements and other income-tested benefits. - Proposes a dedicated Immigration New Zealand overstayer enforcement unit. - Supports stronger deportation provisions for serious offending. ACT's approach is to make skilled migration more directly responsive to employer demand, while imposing additional requirements on migrants and employers. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/making-immigration-work-for-new-zealand)[Immigration](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-immigration/) ### New Zealand First Substantial reduction in immigration Migration levels - Wants to substantially reduce non-essential immigration. - Proposes a referendum on introducing an annual resident visa cap of 20,000. - Wants immigration settings linked to infrastructure capacity. - Proposes a 30-year population plan coordinating immigration, housing and infrastructure. Skilled workers - Supports immigration where workers are genuinely needed. - Advocates long-term domestic workforce planning. - Wants to prevent international students from automatically obtaining work rights. - Proposes requiring international students who wish to work to apply separately under stricter conditions. - Wants to prevent student visas being used as an indirect pathway into employment and residence. Settlement services - Proposes extending the qualifying period for permanent residence from two to five years. - Proposes extending citizenship eligibility from five to at least ten years. - Would introduce a ten-year welfare stand-down for non-citizens. - Wants social housing to be prioritised for New Zealand citizens. - Proposes a 24-month period for overstayers to regularise their situation or leave, with a specific provision for Pacific overstayers to apply for lawful status. This is a much more restrictive approach to migration, residence and access to public assistance than the other major parties' published policies. [NZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies](https://www.nzfirst.nz/nz_first_announces_immigration_reform_policies)[NZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies](https://www.nzfirst.nz/nz_first_announces_immigration_reform_policies) ### Te Pāti Māori Migration levels - No specific numerical immigration target or comprehensive 2026 migration-level proposal was identified in the published material reviewed. - Its broader policy approach emphasises Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori rights and the interests of tangata whenua. Skilled workers - No sufficiently detailed, specific 2026 skilled-migration programme was identified. Settlement services - No specific 2026 settlement-services funding commitment was identified. - Its wider political approach places emphasis on Māori communities, equity and the rights of marginalised communities. It is important not to interpret the absence of a published immigration policy as opposition to migration. [Immigration](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-immigration/)[NZ Political Parties 2026](https://www.nzvotecheck.com/parties) ## 2. Smaller parties - Opportunity Party: No sufficiently detailed, specific 2026 immigration or settlement-services policy was identified in the material reviewed. - Te Tai Tokerau Party: No specific 2026 immigration policy announcement was identified in Retail NZ's October policy review. These parties should not be assigned positions without further published evidence. [Immigration](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-immigration/)[Immigration and visas: party comparison 2026](https://partymap.co.nz/compare/immigration/) ## 3. Side-by-side comparison | Party | Migration levels | Skilled workers | Settlement approach | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | National | Managed, economically focused | Additional skilled residence pathways | Employment and compliance focus | | Labour | Planned around national capacity | Stronger work visa protections and mobility | Orientation, civic education and community support | | Greens | Fair, flexible and sustainable | Equal employment conditions | Strong refugee and migrant support | | ACT | Controlled, shortage-led | Annual review of skilled occupations | Five-year welfare stand-down | | NZ First | Substantial reduction; proposed 20,000 resident visas annually | Prioritises domestic workers and essential skills | Ten-year welfare stand-down; longer residence pathway | | Te Pāti Māori | No specific numerical target identified | No detailed published programme identified | No specific settlement programme identified | ## 4. What are the key differences on settlement services? Settlement services deserve particular attention because they are different from immigration policy itself. Settlement services can include: - English-language education. - Employment assistance and recognition of overseas qualifications. - Information about New Zealand laws, institutions and culture. - Support accessing healthcare, education and housing. - Community integration and social inclusion. - Refugee-specific services, including trauma support and assistance establishing a household. The parties' approaches differ in emphasis: | Area | Party with an explicit proposal | | --- | --- | | Migrant orientation and civic education | Labour | | Community support for migrant workers | Labour | | Increased refugee settlement resources | Greens | | Equal employment conditions | Greens | | Infrastructure contributions from temporary workers | ACT | | Longer waiting periods for permanent residence | Labour and NZ First | | Restrictions on access to welfare | ACT and NZ First | One important distinction: Labour's proposed orientation and civic education is a settlement-related commitment, whereas the Greens' refugee services proposal concerns the resources available to support refugees. They are not interchangeable policies. [Immigration](https://www.labour.org.nz/immigration)[Immigration Policy](https://www.greens.org.nz/immigration_policy)[ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/making-immigration-work-for-new-zealand)[NZ First Announces Immigration Reform Policies](https://www.nzfirst.nz/nz_first_announces_immigration_reform_policies) ## 5. Overall political landscape The parties can broadly be understood through three different approaches: A. Economic and workforce-led migration - National prioritises skilled workers, economic growth and employer requirements. - ACT also prioritises genuine labour shortages, but proposes more stringent enforcement and additional migrant obligations. B. Managed migration with integration and protections - Labour emphasises planning immigration around infrastructure and workforce needs while improving migrant protections. - The Greens emphasise humane immigration, equal employment conditions, refugee support and inclusion. C. Restrictive migration and stronger citizenship requirements - NZ First proposes the clearest reduction in immigration, including a potential 20,000 annual resident visa cap, longer residence requirements and restrictions on welfare access. ## 6. Sources and further reading For checking the actual policy wording rather than relying on political commentary, these are particularly useful: - [Policy.nz – 2026 Election migration policy comparison](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/migration?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Labour – Immigration policy](https://www.labour.org.nz/immigration?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Green Party – Immigration policy](https://www.greens.org.nz/immigration_policy?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [ACT – Making immigration work for New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/making-immigration-work-for-new-zealand?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [NZ First – Immigration reform policies, 11 September 2026](https://www.nzfirst.nz/nz_first_announces_immigration_reform_policies?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [National – New residence options to bolster workforce](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20250923-hon-nicola-willis-new-residence-options-to-bolster-workforce?utm_source=chatgpt.com). - [Retail NZ – Immigration policy tracker, updated 21 October 2026](https://retail.kiwi/insights-media/election-hub/policy-positions-immigration/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). An important qualification: These are published party positions, not necessarily enacted policies. Some are detailed commitments, while others are broad principles. In particular, there is a considerable difference between announcing a skilled-worker pathway and committing funding to long-term settlement services. For a deeper comparison, I would suggest examining one additional question: which parties are proposing to invest in helping migrants become established, economically independent and socially integrated, rather than simply regulating how many people enter New Zealand? That is where the differences in settlement policy become especially significant. ## Gemini Answer ID: 3bdf5fad-eaa0-4e7d-bea3-fffd7e57a7ee For the November 2026 New Zealand general election, immigration, skilled worker settings, and settlement-related rules became major areas of contrast among political parties. Their positions reflect diverging views on how migration impacts economic growth, infrastructure pressure, and social cohesion. --- ### 1. Migration Levels & Overall Approach * **National (Incumbent Coalition Lead):** Broadly supports a continuation of its current settings—focusing on managing economic growth via targeted programmes (such as the *Going for Growth* agenda). National emphasizes matching temporary and permanent migration closely to genuine economic demand without setting aggressive across-the-board numerical caps, though it has tightened integrity and risk-management criteria. * **ACT New Zealand:** Pursues a market-driven model. ACT emphasizes removing bureaucratic impediments for employers needing staff, but pairs this with strict limitations on migrant access to public support (such as barring new migrants from welfare access for their first five years). Notably, ACT proposed abolishing permanent resident visas in favor of long-term renewable resident status (a proposal coalition partner National declined to back). * **New Zealand First:** Campaigned on the most restrictive platform, advocating for significantly lower net migration. NZ First proposed a binding public referendum to cap annual resident visas at 20,000, restricting birthright citizenship to children of citizens, doubling qualifying timeframes for permanent residence and citizenship from 5 to 10 years, and limiting work rights for international students. * **Labour Party:** Argues that immigration numbers must be carefully calibrated against what public infrastructure, housing, and the workforce can sustain. Labour's package included extending the timeline to permanent residence (proposing a four-year framework), reviewing parent visa financial criteria, and introducing humanitarian/pathway flexibilities for specific groups (such as a Pacific visa waiver framework). Labour strongly criticized anti-migrant rhetoric, emphasizing social cohesion. * **Green Party:** Rejects the premise that migrants drive down wages or strain infrastructure, positioning immigration as a net positive. The Greens focus on expanding humanitarian intake, protecting rights against exploitation, and creating specific pathways for climate-displaced people from the Pacific. --- ### 2. Skilled Workers & Employer Visas * **National:** Continues to refine the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC). Recent adjustments have aimed to simplify paths for skilled professionals—such as streamlining wage threshold rules so applicants are assessed against standards active when they began accruing local experience rather than shifting goalposts. * **ACT:** Advocates for flexibility for businesses, proposing that skilled shortage lists be updated annually to tightly track real-time market gaps rather than relying on heavy government intervention. * **New Zealand First:** Targets the AEWV system directly, arguing that past settings created over-reliance on cheap foreign labor at the expense of training domestic workers. They propose strict overhauls to ensure migrant labor is only utilized when local candidates are completely unavailable. * **Labour:** Supports skilled migration that targets genuine skill gaps but seeks tighter employer-mobility regulations and stronger enforcement against migrant exploitation to protect both local and migrant workers. --- ### 3. Settlement Services, Welfare, and Integration * **Welfare and Social Support Restrictions:** Right-of-center and populist parties proposed tighter controls on state support. NZ First proposed a 10-year stand-down on access to main benefits (like Jobseeker Support and the Accommodation Supplement), while ACT proposed a 5-year welfare bar for new arrivals. * **Citizenship and Permanence Timelines:** Parties like NZ First and Labour advanced policies altering long-term settlement timelines—NZ First by pushing for a 10-year requirement for citizenship/permanent residency, and Labour proposing a four-year residence pathway alongside targeted pathways for children born in New Zealand to undocumented parents. * **Civic Integration and Protection:** Labour and National both emphasized formalizing orientation, integration, and civic education programs alongside funding dedicated frontline teams to crack down on migrant exploitation and non-compliance. Conversely, parties like the Greens emphasized community-led settlement funding and removing barriers to social services for established migrants. ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: a523e381-6bb0-4f7f-bebe-25e801255855 As the 2026 New Zealand general election approaches (with polling concluding on 7 November 2026), immigration levels, the recruitment of skilled workers, and settlement frameworks have emerged as prominent areas of debate among the major political parties. According to party policy manifestos, media reporting, and public announcements from the coalition and opposition, the positions of the key parties break down as follows: * **National Party** * _Migration Levels & Skilled Workers_: Led by Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Finance Minister Nicola Willis, the National-led government introduced new residence pathways for highly skilled workers designed to attract and retain critical talent amid net emigration pressures. National balances economic pragmatism and workforce needs with managed settings, though the issue has highlighted friction within its wider coalition. * _Settlement Services_ : National focuses on structured, transparent immigration settings linked directly to labour market shortages and economic productivity. * **Labour Party** * _Migration Levels & Skilled Workers_: In its election manifesto, the Labour Party stated it would implement a formal government policy statement on immigration to establish clear, long-term targets for migrant numbers. * _Settlement Services & Residency_: Labour proposed tightening the timeline for permanent residency, requiring migrants to spend four years in New Zealand (up from the previous standard) before qualifying for permanent residence, aiming to ensure better alignment with long-term settlement and community integration. * **New Zealand First** * _Migration Levels & Skilled Workers_: New Zealand First has campaigned on a more restrictive, nationalist approach to immigration, explicitly opposing "mass immigration". Leader Winston Peters has invoked "agree to disagree" clauses within the coalition framework, expressing concern that New Zealand risks becoming a "stepping stone to Australia" for migrants. * _Settlement Services & Eligibility_: New Zealand First’s platform includes proposals such as creating longer benefit stand-down periods for new migrants, tightening criteria for permanent residency and citizenship eligibility, and restricting certain entitlements (such as superannuation) primarily to citizens. * **ACT New Zealand** * _Migration Levels & Skilled Workers_: ACT’s general approach prioritises economic growth, business needs, and labor market flexibility. The party generally supports easing constraints for productive businesses needing global talent, viewing immigration through the lens of economic productivity and removing red tape for employers. * **Green Party** * _Migration Levels & Skilled Workers_: The Green Party generally advocates for humanitarian-focused and equitable immigration policies. Their platform has historically supported increasing refugee quotas and ensuring humane treatment and robust support systems for migrants already residing in Aotearoa New Zealand, rather than restrictive caps driven by anti-immigration rhetoric.