9. Question No. 9—ImmigrationERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of ImmigrationQuestion No. 9—Immigration9. ERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of Immigration: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?Hon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Immigration): Noa'ia Mr Speaker. Yes in the context in which they were made. I also stand by this Government's plan to fully reopen the border two months ahead of schedule. We are reopening under a rebalanced immigration system that is smart and simplified that will give businesses better access to skills and improve working conditions for migrant labour. I also stand by the 2021 resident visa that will give over 190000 migrants residency. Immigration New Zealand have advised that they are making good progress on these applications with over 46000 migrants having been made residents so far. Erica Stanford: How can he stand by his statement on the Hosking show yesterday that partners of work visa holders would be better off under his new proposal because existing work partnership visas require visa holders to work a minimum of 30 hours a week when immigration instructions have never required these visa holders to work any set number of hours?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Well I think I made those comments this morning not yesterday. As I said on the show we're giving more options to partners. They can either come to New Zealand and have a work visa or come here and have a visitor visa. There's been some skulduggery suggesting that partners of those accredited employer work visa holders can't come to New Zealand—they absolutely can. Erica Stanford: Point of order Mr Speaker. I don't believe that the question that I asked was addressed around the disparity between his comment—SPEAKER: Well the member had a very specific part of the question which was answered and it went to the accuracy of the statement that the member made. Erica Stanford: How can he now use the new Immigration Online system as a way to guarantee processing time frames of the 30 days for the accredited employer work visa when he has now broken his promise to process 80 percent of resident 2021 visas in 12 months which uses the same online system?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: As I said in the primary answer we're still committed to making sure that we make 190000 migrants residents still and as I say I've been given assurances by officials that the investment in the new online system will make the process a lot more efficient. Ricardo Menéndez March: Is it intended that migrants in lower-paid but essential sectors—such as aged care or construction—will never be eligible for residency no matter how long they live and work in New Zealand; if not what pathways to residency can the Minister guarantee for these workers?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: If the member looks at the Green List and those occupations that are straight to residence there are a plethora of occupations in the building and construction sector. Erica Stanford: Can he explain why a midwife or a nurse would choose New Zealand when residence now takes two years plus processing times when Australia offers immediate residence pathways for both?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Well because we're giving them certainty about a streamlined pathway to residence that didn't have before. Also under the previous regime there was only one category of nurses that we gave a pathway to residence. Now under the Green List that we announced yesterday we have 13 categories of nurses to make sure we can fill the staffing shortages that we have in terms of nurses. Erica Stanford: How can New Zealanders trust him when his own comments show he doesn't understand immigration instructions he hasn't been able to fulfil his promises and his policies will drive skilled migrants to Australia?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Because I'm more trustworthy than that member.