8. Question No. 8—ImmigrationRICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister of ImmigrationQuestion No. 8—Immigration8. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister of Immigration: Does he consider the current immigration policies to be fair and equitable towards migrant families?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Immigration): Yes I do. Yesterday I announced that Immigration New Zealand will be prioritising resident visa 2021 applications from applicants who are currently separated from their offshore partners and/or dependent children. Overall the resident visa 2021 programme will provide a residency pathway for over 200000 migrants to New Zealand and support their families to settle here. In addition to this other initiatives our Government has pursued to improve the lives of migrant families and communities include our recent reopening and updating of the settings of the parent visa category reopening the skilled migrant category doubling the refugee quota our support for Afghan nationals to settle in New Zealand following the fall of the Afghanistan Government late last year and forming a migrant community reference group. Every country needs to ensure that its needs are met through its immigration system but a key part of that under this Government will be fair equitable and respectful policies towards migrants and their families. Ricardo Menéndez March: Does he consider it fair that many migrants including migrant nurses will not qualify to be reunited with their parents in Aotearoa because the salary requirements are under the required $86000 a year for one parent or $115000 for two parents?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I don't entirely agree with the member's assessment. For the benefit of the House parents and grandparents are able to be reunited and connect with families in New Zealand through the parent and grandparent visa which is a temporary category. So I don't accept that it is correct to say that there is no pathway for migrant families to connect with parents and grandparents overseas. It is a somewhat different question when it comes to the longer-term residency category that is the parent visa category that the member is referring to. Our Government does believe that it is a balanced approach that we have taken. We have reopened that category after it was closed by the previous Government we have increased the overall cap over and above what was previously proposed and we have reduced the income thresholds below what was previously proposed and provided greater flexibility for migrant families to meet those income requirements. But there is a fair balance to be struck here to ensure that overall costs to the New Zealand system are managed.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does he agree with his Labour Party colleagues who recommended in a recent select committee report that The review of Immigration instructions relating to health requirements for residency should consider creating exemptions for dependent children."; if so will he end discrimination on the basis of this ability for dependent children of migrant parents to stop families from being separated?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: As I've indicated in the House previously the Government will be moving forward with a review of family and partnership settings for a review process that will commence in 2023 and these matters can be considered as a part of that.Teanau Tuiono: Does he consider it to be fair that people from the Pacific Island nations need to apply for a visitor visa pay visa fees and face delays to enter the country in order to visit family members; whereas people from the US UK and Canada don't?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Yes I do believe that our settings are fair. As we have canvassed in the House previously New Zealand does require visitor visas from a number of countries not just the Pacific and in fact we have particular and special arrangements that reflect our strong relationship with the Pacific. We reopened our borders to our Pacific neighbours in advance of other countries as a part of our reconnecting strategy this year. In many categories we have lower fees that are applicable to people from the Pacific coming to New Zealand. And of course we have the special residency pathways—the Pacific and Samoan access quota categories. So yes I do believe that overall our policies in respect of our Pacific neighbours are fair and balanced and are welcomed by them.Teanau Tuiono: Does he agree with his Labour Party colleagues who recommended in a recent select committee report in relation to Tuvaluans and their families that—and I quote—"the Government consider a regularisation initiative for undocumented migrants" and if so has he asked for advice on exploring a regularisation initiative for undocumented migrants?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: As I've commented on publicly over recent months the Government does not have a closed mind on this matter and it is one that I have asked for further information from officials on.Golriz Ghahraman: Does he think it fair to say our refugee family reunification programme is a real pathway for refugee whānau when Immigration New Zealand routinely requires applicants to show they can provide separate housing for their immediate family for a period of two years including by showing that accommodation fund is already in their bank account before they're even able to apply?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I note that in respect of that category the Government has doubled the overall numbers from 300 to 600 this year to ensure that more refugee families are able to take advantage of that pathway. The member points to one of the inherent tensions that we have across a number of our immigration settings which is that we do generally want to be facilitative and supportive of people particularly in difficult situations to settle in New Zealand but we do also want to make sure that when they are here they are actually going to be well supported—that they are going to have their core needs including accommodation needs taken care of. We try to strike the balance right in respect of our policies and we consistently keep that under review."