NZ First Proposes Sweeping Immigration Overhaul with Annual Resident Visa Cap

New Zealand First has unveiled plans for a dramatic overhaul of the country's immigration system ahead of November's general election. The party wants to introduce an annual cap on resident visas, with a referendum held to decide if the number should be set at 20,000 per year.

NZ First leader Winston Peters said that population growth should not outpace the country's ability to build and provide for its citizens. 'New Zealand is more than an economy. It is a nation with its own history, institutions and way of life. Immigration policy should strengthen social cohesion and encourage integration into a shared national community,' he added.

The proposed reforms also include updating birthright citizenship requirements, making it so that only the children of citizens are automatically entitled to New Zealand citizenship at birth. Asylum seekers would be ineligible for visas if they seek asylum while in the country on a working-class visa, and qualifying periods for permanent residents and citizenship would be made more rigorous.

NZ First wants to increase the cost of applying for New Zealand citizenship and permanent residence 'to reflect its value and to better fund the wider immigration system'. A 10-year welfare stand-down period would also be implemented for all visa holders, meaning non-citizens would be ineligible for jobseeker or accommodation supplement benefits during their first decade in the country.