9. Immigration Policy—Skilled Migrant CategoryIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) to the Minister of ImmigrationImmigration Policy—Skilled Migrant Category9. IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) to the Minister of Immigration: Is the immigration system working in the best interests of New Zealand and migrants?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister of Immigration): Overall yes. Sound immigration policy results in improvements to New Zealand—economically socially and culturally. For migrants the immigration system supports a great visitor or tourist experience work or business start-up and for those staying longer or permanently our settlement support framework is recognised as world leading.Iain Lees-Galloway: How can the immigration system be working in the best interests of skilled migrants given that their earnings have fallen by 10 percent between 2003 and 2013?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: This country has many skilled migrants. I presume the member refers to recent residency visa holders who were approved residency under the skilled migrant category. I do not have that data. What I do know is that after a long period of reasonably flat demand for residencies including in the skilled migrant category there was a sharp spike upward which was why the Government made the moderate changes that it did in September. That will result I am sure in a net increase in the overall skills of those residency holders.Iain Lees-Galloway: I seek leave to table advice to the Minister that we received under the Official Information Act dated 25 May 2016 which demonstrates that earnings for skilled migrant category migrants have declined by 10 percent over that 10-year period.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular advice. Is there any objection? [Interruption] Is there any objection? There is none. Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Iain Lees-Galloway: Why is the immigration system being used to undercut wages in New Zealand as confirmed by his department's research which shows that skilled migrants' earnings can be up to $18000 a year less than other skilled workers in the same industry?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: I do not have that research with me but I do understand from recollection that in fact those skilled migrants who were in qualifications of level 7 and above were actually very close to the average of all skilled migrants in those categories. Those who had lower qualifications would naturally start on a lower salary but build up over time. I am satisfied that the policy settings are right and that wages are not being suppressed by that policy.Iain Lees-Galloway: I seek leave to table advice to the Minister acquired by us under the Official Information Act dated 25 May 2016 which demonstrates that in a variety of categories skilled migrant category migrants earn less and in particular in the—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been well and truly described. I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular advice to the Minister dated May 2016. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Iain Lees-Galloway: If wages for skilled workers are being suppressed this much by migration will it not be even worse for unskilled migrants given that his Government has approved 1.2 million work visas since 2009?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: The category of work visa includes other issues like the working holiday scheme which has been very positive. I note for the House's benefit that the essential skills work visa category has seen a marked reduction since this Government came to office particularly in things like labouring. Despite the Canterbury rebuild and the very strong growth in demand for construction workers in Auckland the number of visas overall—essential skills visas and labourer visas—has gone down materially.Iain Lees-Galloway: Why is his Government continuing with high levels of migration and issuing millions of work visas when the evidence from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and Treasury provided to him as Minister demonstrates that it is suppressing wages in New Zealand?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: If that were true and Treasury is equivocal on that point then we would not be seeing very high growth in the median wage. We would not be seeing unemployment dropping materially and job participation at its very highest. I challenge the thesis that the economy is strong because immigration is strong. Because the economy is growing labour demand is high and for the foreseeable future we will need to go to the international labour market. I reject the assertion that it is suppressing wages.