# Minister of Immigration (New Zealand)

The Minister of Immigration is a minister in the New Zealand Government. The portfolio was established in 1872 as the Secretary for Crown Lands and Immigration. The minister appointed was William Fitzherbert but when replaced later in the year by Maurice O'Rorke, the title was changed to Minister of Immigration.

## Functions and responsibilities

The Minister of Immigration is responsible for leading the policy and strategic direction of the New Zealand immigration system and setting the rules and criteria for the granting of visas and entry permission, and making decisions in individual cases. The Minister of Immigration receives operational support from Immigration New Zealand, which is part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). MBIE's Immigration Policy Team advises the Minister on policy matters. The Immigration Minister also has jurisdiction over both the Immigration Advisers Authority, which provides licenses to service people who provide immigration advice to prospective immigrants, and the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal. The Minister of Immigration is regulated by the Immigration Act 2009 and the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act.

## List of ministers

The following ministers have held the office of Minister of Immigration.

### Key

Independent  Liberal  Reform  United  Labour  National  NZ First
| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Prime Minister |
| 1 | William Fitzherbert | 10 September 1872 | 11 October 1872 | Stafford |
| 2 | Maurice O'Rorke | 24 October 1872 | 11 October 1873 | Waterhouse |
| 2 | Maurice O'Rorke | 24 October 1872 | 11 October 1873 | Fox |
| 2 | Maurice O'Rorke | 24 October 1872 | 11 October 1873 | Vogel |
| 3 | Julius Vogel | 11 October 1873 | 10 September 1874 | Vogel |
| 4 | Harry Atkinson | 10 September 1874 | 1 September 1876 | Vogel |
| 4 | Harry Atkinson | 10 September 1874 | 1 September 1876 | Pollen |
| 4 | Harry Atkinson | 10 September 1874 | 1 September 1876 | Vogel |
| 5 | John Davies Ormond | 1 September 1876 | 13 September 1876 | Atkinson |
| (5) | Harry Atkinson | 13 September 1876 | 4 January 1877 | Atkinson |
| 6 | Donald Reid | 4 January 1877 | 13 October 1877 | Atkinson |
| 7 | James Macandrew | 15 October 1877 | 25 July 1878 | Grey |
| 8 | Robert Stout | 25 July 1878 | 25 June 1879 | Grey |
| 9 | William Gisborne | 25 June 1879 | 8 October 1879 | Grey |
| 10 | William Rolleston | 8 October 1879 | 16 August 1884 | Hall |
| 10 | William Rolleston | 8 October 1879 | 16 August 1884 | Whitaker |
| 10 | William Rolleston | 8 October 1879 | 16 August 1884 | Atkinson |
| (7) | James Macandrew | 16 August 1884 | 28 August 1884 | Stout |
| 11 | Richmond Hursthouse | 28 August 1884 | 3 September 1884 | Atkinson |
| 12 | John Ballance | 3 September 1884 | 8 October 1887 | Stout |
| 13 | George Richardson | 8 October 1887 | 24 January 1891 | Atkinson |
| 14 | John McKenzie | 24 January 1891 | 2 March 1896 | Ballance |
| 14 | John McKenzie | 24 January 1891 | 2 March 1896 | Seddon |
| 15 | William Campbell Walker | 2 March 1896 | 20 June 1903 | Seddon |
| 16 | Richard Seddon | 22 June 1903 | 10 June 1906 | Seddon |
| 17 | Charles H. Mills | 10 June 1906 | 6 August 1906 | Hall-Jones |
| 18 | James McGowan | 6 August 1906 | 6 January 1909 | Ward |
| 19 | George Fowlds | 6 January 1909 | 4 September 1911 | Ward |
| 20 | George Warren Russell | 28 March 1912 | 10 July 1912 | Mackenzie |
| 21 | Francis Bell | 13 July 1912 | 12 August 1915 | Massey |
| 22 | Josiah Hanan | 12 August 1915 | 16 August 1915 | Massey |
| (21) | Francis Bell | 16 August 1915 | 14 May 1920 | Massey |
| 23 | William Nosworthy | 14 May 1920 | 10 December 1928 | Massey |
| 23 | William Nosworthy | 14 May 1920 | 10 December 1928 | Bell |
| 23 | William Nosworthy | 14 May 1920 | 10 December 1928 | Coates |
| 24 | John Cobbe | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | Ward |
| 25 | Sydney George Smith | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | Forbes |
| 26 | Alexander Young | 22 September 1931 | 6 December 1935 | Forbes |
| 27 | Tim Armstrong | 6 December 1935 | 30 April 1940 | Savage |
| 27 | Tim Armstrong | 6 December 1935 | 30 April 1940 | Fraser |
| 28 | David Wilson | 30 April 1940 | 12 April 1944 | Fraser |
| 29 | Paddy Webb | 12 April 1944 | 19 December 1946 | Fraser |
| 30 | Angus McLagan | 19 December 1946 | 13 December 1949 | Fraser |
| 31 | Bill Sullivan | 13 December 1949 | 26 November 1954 | Holland |
| 32 | Ralph Hanan | 26 November 1954 | 20 December 1957 | Holland |
| 32 | Ralph Hanan | 26 November 1954 | 20 December 1957 | Holyoake |
| 33 | Fred Hackett | 12 December 1957 | 12 December 1960 | Nash |
| 34 | Tom Shand | 12 December 1960 | 22 December 1969 | Holyoake |
| 35 | Jack Marshall | 22 December 1969 | 9 February 1972 | Holyoake |
| 36 | David Thomson | 9 February 1972 | 8 December 1972 | Marshall |
| 37 | Fraser Colman | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Kirk |
| 37 | Fraser Colman | 8 December 1972 | 12 December 1975 | Rowling |
| 38 | Frank Gill | 12 December 1975 | 13 December 1978 | Muldoon |
| 39 | Jim Bolger | 13 December 1978 | 12 February 1981 | Muldoon |
| 40 | Aussie Malcolm | 12 February 1981 | 26 July 1984 | Muldoon |
| 41 | Kerry Burke | 26 July 1984 | 24 August 1987 | Lange |
| 42 | Stan Rodger | 24 August 1987 | 14 August 1989 | Lange |
| 43 | Roger Douglas | 14 August 1989 | 9 February 1990 | Lange |
| 43 | Roger Douglas | 14 August 1989 | 9 February 1990 | Palmer |
| 44 | Annette King | 9 February 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Palmer |
| 44 | Annette King | 9 February 1990 | 2 November 1990 | Moore |
| 45 | Bill Birch | 2 November 1990 | 27 March 1993 | Bolger |
| 46 | Maurice McTigue | 27 March 1993 | 29 November 1993 | Bolger |
| 47 | Roger Maxwell | 29 November 1993 | 16 December 1996 | Bolger |
| 48 | Tuariki Delamere | 16 December 1996 | 24 November 1999 | Bolger |
| 48 | Tuariki Delamere | 16 December 1996 | 24 November 1999 | Shipley |
| - | Wyatt Creech (acting) | 24 November 1999 | 10 December 1999 | Shipley |
| 49 | Lianne Dalziel | 10 December 1999 | 21 February 2004 | Clark |
| 50 | Paul Swain | 21 February 2004 | 19 October 2005 | Clark |
| 51 | David Cunliffe | 19 October 2005 | 11 November 2007 | Clark |
| 52 | Clayton Cosgrove | 11 November 2007 | 19 November 2008 | Clark |
| 53 | Jonathan Coleman | 19 November 2008 | 14 December 2011 | Key |
| 54 | Nathan Guy | 14 December 2011 | 31 January 2013 | Key |
| 55 | Michael Woodhouse | 31 January 2013 | 26 October 2017 | Key |
| 55 | Michael Woodhouse | 31 January 2013 | 26 October 2017 | English |
| 56 | Iain Lees-Galloway | 26 October 2017 | 22 July 2020 | Ardern |
| 57 | Kris Faafoi | 22 July 2020 | 14 June 2022 | Ardern |
| 58 | Michael Wood | 14 June 2022 | 21 June 2023 | Ardern |
| 58 | Michael Wood | 14 June 2022 | 21 June 2023 | Hipkins |
| 59 | Andrew Little | 21 June 2023 | 27 November 2023 | Hipkins |
| 60 | Erica Stanford | 27 November 2023 | present | Luxon |