Airport departure cards will be a thing of the past from November.
People will no longer have to fill out the cards before flying overseas, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway announced at Auckland International Airport on Sunday. "This will improve the experience of all travellers departing New Zealand, enabling a faster and smoother process ahead of the busy holiday period," Lees-Galloway said. "It will also save more than 100,000 hours of time currently spent by travellers completing more than 6.5 million departure cards per year." There is no exact date set for the axing of the cards, and one would be announced closer to the time. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern first signalled the move in March at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum in Sydney. Delegates at that forum said the cards were not necessary and hampered a seamless trans-Tasman experience, which affected tourism and business. Ardern said she agreed and would be talking to statistics and immigration officials in the coming months. On Sunday, Lees-Galloway said the move would bring New Zealand into line with other countries, few of which had departure cards with the level of detail required by the New Zealand card. Australia removed its departure card in 2017, and the announcement meant travellers would be able to travel across the Tasman without filling out a departure card in either port, Lees-Galloway said. While the dollar amount saved by axing departure cards was "not huge", it would save people time, he said. "It removes an inconvenience which isn't necessary anymore . . . It's time for them to go." Auckland International Airport chief executive Adrian Littlewood said the move was something the airport had wanted for many years. "[It's] something that will make a big difference to travellers' lives." While filling out a departure card was a small part of the overall process, doing away with them would cut out the "slight annoyance factor" for those customers just wanting to get to the gate, he said. Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri said the cards were no longer needed for their original purpose – to account for all passengers crossing the New Zealand border. "We have smarter systems now that capture passenger identity information and travel movement records electronically," she said. "Information captured by the departure cards is now mainly used for statistical purposes. "Statistics NZ has developed an alternative way to produce migration and tourism statistics, based on actual movements rather than passengers' stated intentions on the departure cards." Departure cards were introduced in 1921, and it's estimated more than 132 million cards have been filled out since that time. In 2017, 6.5 million cards were completed. That represented about 100,000 hours of traveller time, or about 12 years, a fact sheet provided by Lees-Galloway and Whaitiri said. The cards ask travellers how long they have been in New Zealand and how long they intend to be away. From November, Statistics NZ would switch to a new system which would measure the actual times, the statement said. Those hoping for an end to arrival cards, along with departure cards, were set for a longer wait. The statement said arrival cards captured important declarations which were used by border staff to manage immigration and biosecurity risks. "Officials are in the early stages of exploring alternative means of capturing this information, but there are no set timeframes."
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Interim visas are granted to people in New Zealand whose application for a further temporary visa has not been determined when their previous visa expires. It has been an on-going issue, as their further temporary visa applications are declined, they become unlawful. However from 27 August 2018, Immigration instructions about the currency of interim visas have been amended so that once an interim visa is valid, it will expire 21 days after the further temporary visa application is declined or withdrawn, or after 6 months if the application is not decided (or withdrawn) in that time. The changes are:
They are intended to support the attraction of international students studying at higher levels and preserve a pathway to residence for those with the skills and qualifications New Zealand needs, specifically through the link between more generous post-study work rights to higher level qualifications. There has been significant growth in the international education sector over the last few years, especially in below degree level qualifications. As a result, there has been a decline in the skill level of people moving through the immigration system and granted permanent residency. We want to ensure that post-study pathways for international students are fit-for-purpose and contribute the skills and qualifications New Zealand needs. The Government wants to support the transition to these new immigration settings. These changes include a three year, time-limited incentive for international students to study outside Auckland. This is to ensure the benefits of international education are shared throughout all the regions of New Zealand, supporting the Government's aims to lift regional investment, growth and productivity. There is a three year sunset clause, to enable those parts of the sector that are most affected by the changes (Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) and Private Training Establishments (PTEs)) to be able to successfully transition, over time, to new immigration settings. It also supports the current ITP Roadmap 2020 work underway by the Tertiary Education Commission on the long-term viability of ITPs, while ensuring that Government goals for regional growth are not undermined. These changes will be grand-parented, so they will not impact current post-study work visa holders or current students who are undertaking a qualification that (once completed) will meet the qualification requirements as set out in current immigration settings. These changes support the Government's broader plans for a high quality international system in order to generate educational, economic, social and cultural benefits to New Zealand. |
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