The number of people in the country on a New Zealand visa has fallen, reports show.
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15 May 2012
New Zealand visa numbers fall
New Zealand's Department of Labour has reported that the number of people entering on a New Zealand visa has fallen 12% in the past nine months.
The Department of Labour said there had been just 13,265 New Zealand visa approvals between July 2011 and March 2012, nearly 1,800 fewer than in the same period the year before.
The fall in the number of foreign workers in the country has been largely attributed to the uncertain nature of many countries' economies as many people with essential skills choose to remain in their own country.
The country has already taken steps to combat the decrease as New Zealand immigration authorities announced last week that changes would be made to visa policy which would make the country a more attractive prospect but as labour shortages grow larger, more changes may need to be made soon.
Despite the fall, an 18% increase in applications from India has seen the country become the joint largest contributor of skilled labour to New Zealand, although the increase has been played down by the department's report.
'The increase from India is mainly due to former Indian international students who transition to temporary work and then to permanent residence,' said the report.
India joins the UK as New Zealand's largest source of skilled labour with 17% of the total number of visas being granted to British and Indian citizens each. The Philippines were the third largest contributors with 12%, China and South Africa with 8% and Fiji with 7%.
The New Zealand Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy that specialises in helping people apply for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa.
