The New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) believes that the Immigration Minister will announce on Monday that 30,000 current skilled migrant category (SMC) applications awaiting allocation and assessment by Immigration New Zealand will be “lapsed” and applicants will be offered some sort of a refund.

“The Minister appears to be readying these applicants for his announcement in his recent media release where he called present issues with processing ‘the perfect storm’ and blamed COVID and the skilled migrant category applications for the delays in visa processing,” says NZAMI chair, June Ranson.

“NZAMI is gravely concerned about this being a possibility given the impact that such a decision would have on those migrants that have invested so much into their future in New Zealand. Many have studied, lived and worked here for many years, and some have waited for 18 months plus to have their applications assessed. The NZAMI is equally concerned about the impact that this would have on employers who are desperate for skilled migrants to fill skills shortages in their businesses.

“Such a decision would exacerbate the skills shortages in this country and hamper infrastructure projects and heavily impact on those occupations that are heavily migrant reliant such as the aged care sector. If there is no future for skilled migrants to make New Zealand home, they will simply move to countries where they can secure their future such as Australia and Canada.”

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