The Government has decided on the New Zealand Residence Programme (NZRP) Planning Range through to the end of the year.

The NZRP Planning Range sets the upper and lower number for residence visa approvals. The transitional Planning Range will be 50,000 to 60,000 residence approvals to 31 December 2019.

From 1 January 2020, the Government will replace the Planning Range with a more targeted approach that focuses on the management of specific residence visa types. This includes introducing new objectives to help maximise the NZRP’s contribution to New Zealand’s economic and social well-being.

The new objectives include:
• attracting skilled workers and business migrants
• reunifying the families of New Zealand residents and citizens
• meeting international and humanitarian commitments.

While the new approach and monitoring systems are being developed, Immigration New Zealand will continue to process existing and new residence visa applications according to current immigration instructions.