Immigration · Party position

Conservative Party NZ on Immigration

Favour skilled migrants; cap unskilled immigration; tighten fraud checks

The Conservative Party wants New Zealand to welcome skilled workers and entrepreneurs but limit unskilled and semi-skilled migrants. They want a stable points system for visas, a cap on immigration tied to how many houses, hospital beds, and school places are available, tougher checks on visa documents, an end to visas granted just because someone has money, and stricter rules for overseas truck drivers working here.

What they say they'll do

Shift work and residence visas away from unskilled and semi-skilled workers towards skilled professionals and entrepreneurs using a stable points system
Cap net immigration of unskilled and semi-skilled workers and their dependents at zero when housing, hospital beds, school places, and other social goods are not growing
End the practice of issuing residence visas based on money alone ('golden' visas)
Require immigrant goods-vehicle drivers to pass an appropriate NZ driving licence test before driving on NZ roads, with repatriation at the sponsoring employer's expense after two failures
Introduce more rigorous cross-checking and audits of supporting documents in residence, work, and student visa applications, and restrict immigration from countries with high fraud rates
Regularly review and audit staffing and processes in the granting of residence and work visas

Who this affects

Skilled migrants and entrepreneurs

The party's proposed points system would prioritise this group for work and residence visas.

Unskilled and semi-skilled migrant workers

Their entry would be capped or reduced to zero if New Zealand's housing, healthcare, and school capacity is not growing.

Overseas truck and goods-vehicle drivers

They would be required to pass a New Zealand driving licence test before being allowed to drive here, and could be sent home at their employer's expense if they fail twice.

Visa applicants from high-fraud countries

Restrictions would be placed on immigration from countries identified as having high rates of document fraud in visa applications.

Wealthy migrants seeking 'golden' visas

The policy would end the ability to obtain a residence visa based on money alone.

In their own words

“The granting of work and residence visas should be adjusted away from unskilled and semi-skilled workers (and their dependents) towards skilled professionals and entrepreneurs.”

“The practice of issuing residence visas based on money alone ("golden" visas) should cease.”

“If our social goods are not increasing, net immigration of unskilled and semi-skilled workers and their dependents should be zero.”

Verify at Conservative Party NZ — official policy page

Summarised neutrally from Conservative Party NZ’s own official policy (as at 2026-09-08) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Politika is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Immigration →

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Conservative Party NZ on Immigration

What they say they'll do

Who this affects

In their own words

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