Visa restrictions tighten in New Zealand amid record migration

On Sunday, New Zealand announced immediate modifications to its employment visa scheme following a near-record influx of migrants last year, which it deemed "unsustainable."

"The Government is focused on attracting and retaining the highly skilled migrants such as secondary teachers, where there is a skill shortage," Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said in a statement.

"At the same time we need to ensure that New Zealanders are put to the front of the line for jobs where there are no skills shortages," she said.

These adjustments entail implementing an English language proficiency prerequisite for low-skilled positions and establishing minimum skill and work experience criteria for most employer-sponsored work visas. Additionally, the maximum duration of continuous stay for many low-skilled positions will be reduced from five years to three years.

According to the statement, approximately 173,000 individuals migrated to New Zealand last year, approaching a record high.