About 4000 long-term temporary migrant workers in the South Island will have a one-off chance to become residents of New Zealand, following this morning's swathe of immigration announcements from Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse in Queenstown. There had been a significant growth in the number of lower-skilled temporary migrants in the South Island who helped fill genuine labour shortages and had become well-settled there, Mr Woodhouse said. However, due to current temporary migration settings, many of these lower-skilled temporary migrants had no pathway to residence. The Government was using remuneration threshholds for permanent and temporary migrants as a tool because they served as a "good proxy" for the quality of those migrants. To be eligible, temporary visa holders must:Currently be on an Essential Skills visa for a job in the South Island and have been on one in the South Island for five years or more.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 18, 2017 23:15 UTC