1. Question No. 1—ImmigrationDr JAMES McDOWALL (ACT) to the Minister of ImmigrationORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Immigration1. Dr JAMES McDOWALL (ACT) to the Minister of Immigration: Is he confident that Immigration New Zealand can process the 2021 Resident Visa applications of up to 165000 migrants within 12 months; if so what does Immigration New Zealand plan to do differently to avoid creating a significant backlog?Hon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Immigration): Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Yes because the criteria for the 2021 resident visa are clear and easy to assess. This will ensure Immigration New Zealand can manage the expected large volume of applications on a timely basis. Processing these applications will be a priority for Immigration New Zealand. Furthermore the applications will be submitted online and will still be able to be processed by immigration officers anywhere in New Zealand should alert level restrictions be a factor. I will be taking a proactive approach in ensuring expectations around processing are met.Dr James McDowall: Will he be setting performance targets for Immigration New Zealand and telling the public what majority of applications to be granted within a year" actually means?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: When documents are released it will show that around 80 percent of applications should be processed within 12 months of the application tranches opening so that is somewhat better than the wait times that have been in place for some time. Again I assure the member that I will be taking a proactive approach in ensuring that the expectations that have been set are met.Dr James McDowall: What does the Minister say to the thousands of skilled migrants such as doctors teachers nurses and their employers who have recently left New Zealand due to having no pathway to residency and being split from their families?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: We acknowledge that the issues that have been created by our closed border and uncertainty with pathways to residence have caused some people to make some extremely difficult decisions. I would balance that to the 165000 people today who woke up to a clear pathway to residence because of their contribution to New Zealand over the last three years the skilled work that they're undertaking or the scarce skills that they are offering to New Zealand at the moment.Dr James McDowall: Does the Minister now admit that the Government's immigration reset announced in May has been a total disaster?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: The obvious answer there is no. What I do think is a success is the fact that the Government has taken a comprehensive approach to ensuring that skilled workers settled workers and scarce workers can now stay in New Zealand and build a future for them and their families and also the employers who have concerns about their workers being able to maintain jobs in New Zealand can rest easy. I thank the member for his late-night posts last night helping me get the word out. I see his party has moved its priorities on to making sure that Britney Spears is free. Dr James McDowall: Why did it take the Minister so long to sort this out?Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Because it's 165000 people.Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Thank you very much Prime Minister—my words exactly: 165000 people now have a clear pathway to residence. It is a comprehensive solution to problems that businesses currently face because of the COVID pandemic. We are very proud that a comprehensive solution such as this has been able to be met and it's giving the certainty to 165000 migrant workers that they have been wanting."