5. Question No. 5—ImmigrationERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of ImmigrationQuestion No. 5—Immigration5. ERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of Immigration: What is the total number of workers included in border class exceptions announced this year and how many have entered the country?Hon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Immigration): Early on in the global pandemic the Government recognised that despite our closed border we needed to bring in people and their skills as it was safe to do so to support our economic cultural and humanitarian objectives. That's why we set up the class exceptions process to support key industries and services to meet their workforce needs while the border is closed. Overall we've approved over 22000 workers to come to New Zealand since the border closure covering health workers individual critical workers and workers arriving under class exceptions. The total number of workers eligible for border class exceptions announced this year is 1335. This includes exceptions that have recently been announced in the latest round where workers will only begin arriving in 2022. Therefore the number of arrivals is correspondingly lower at 565. Erica Stanford: Can he confirm that none of the 200 teachers announced as a class exception over five months ago have entered New Zealand?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: No it's actually 300 teachers. I'd like to inform the member that the process works that the Government has approved spaces or visas for 300 teachers and from there it is an applicant-driven process. As you would have heard from the Secretary for Education recently there've been just a little over 100 applications to date and they are in process and a small number have arrived in New Zealand. I imagine some of those may have been having issues with getting managed isolation (MIQ) places. Some of them may be making the decision to have Christmas with their families before New Zealand and in some circumstances circumstances change. Some people plan to be in particular jobs in particular times as the member will know and sometimes plans change and things change that delay or scupper those types of jobs being taken up.Erica Stanford: Can he confirm that out of the 200 dairy-farm workers announced as a class exception six months ago only three have entered New Zealand?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: I don't think that is particularly the case. Again what I would say—[Multiple members interject]SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member asked a question. I don't know if she wants an answer but the House does.Hon KRIS FAAFOI: What I would reiterate is that it is an applicant-driven process and there are criteria which those applicants have to meet in order to get the visa.SPEAKER: No no. Well the House did want to have an answer and it didn't have one. It was a very specific question. Do you want it repeated?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: I did at the beginning.SPEAKER: Sorry? Can the member repeat his answer so I can hear it?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Mr Speaker can I just hear the question again?Erica Stanford: Can he confirm that out of the 200 dairy farm workers announced as a class exception six months ago only three have arrived in New Zealand?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: I will reiterate to the member that I think it was actually 150 spaces announced earlier this year and again it is an applicant-driven process. If some of those applicants don't meet the criteria within those visas they don't make it to New Zealand. A small number have managed to get a visa so a small number have arrived in New Zealand.Erica Stanford: Is the Minister seriously blaming the applicants for these border exceptions rather than a lack of space in MIQ to get into the country?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: No I'm not doing that. That is the question of the member. What I'm making very clear is that the Government sets aside visas in order for people to come across. And then from there it is an applicant-driven process which has criteria to meet.Hon Damien O'Connor: Mr Speaker?SPEAKER: The Hon Stuart Nash.Hon Damien O'Connor: Supplementary Mr Speaker. Nicola Grigg: The saviour of the ag industry!SPEAKER: Oh where did that one come from?Hon Damien O'Connor: Can—SPEAKER: No sorry. Who interjected then? Who was it who interjected?Nicola Grigg: I did sir.SPEAKER: Well the member will withdraw and apologise. It is getting too frequent.Nicola Grigg: I withdraw and apologise.Hon Damien O'Connor: Can the Minister confirm that—SPEAKER: It was Damien O'Connor not Stuart Nash. The hair put me off with the mask on. Hon Damien O'Connor: Trouble with my hearing Mr Speaker! Can the Minister confirm that in bringing dairy workers into the country one of the requirements was that those people be paid fair wages and conditions and that one of the concerns Immigration had was the charge of rental of $500 a week for a farmhouse being considered over the top?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: There were conditions like that on the visas that the Minister has suggested. One of the things that we've had to make sure is that when we do approve the visas that the Minister is speaking about those who get those visas approved actually stick to an exact criteria.SPEAKER: Carmel Sepuloni could you put your mask on please.Erica Stanford: Other than just blaming the applicants what specific steps has he taken over the last six months to ensure that workers included in border exceptions actually arrive in New Zealand to fill critical workforce shortages?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: I refer to the answer to the first supplementary question. The Government enables a certain number of visas within a class exception. It is then an applicant-led process. Within the process around education that the member has suggested first we allotted 300 visas and the demand at this stage is much less than that. Therefore the number of people who have arrived has been lower than expected.