Latest research gives insight into new migrant experiences

The Department of Labour’s International Migration, Settlement and Employment Dynamics (IMSED) recently launched a new research report entitled “New Faces, New Futures: New Zealand”. IMSED Research has the lead role within the New Zealand government for immigration-related research and evaluation, and their latest report draws on the findings of the Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand (LisNZ).

LisNZ is a collaborative study with Statistics New Zealand whereby interviews are conducted with immigrant permanent residents in three ‘waves’ – after six months, 18 months, and three years in New Zealand.   More than 7,000 responses were gathered at six months (wave 1).

LisNZ is a study designed to produce detailed information on the settlement outcomes of migrants over time. It allows researchersto provide a comprehensive overview of early settlement experiences.   Along with detailed descriptive information on the profiles of the migrants six months into residence, the report focuses on theirskills and resources, labour market activities and economic integration, as well as social integration and settlement.

The LisNZ results lend strong support to immigration selection policies which value migrants who have the language, skills and qualifications that complement the needs of the New Zealand labour force.

Highlights of “New Faces, New Futures: New Zealand”:

  • The median age of migrants is 34 years.  Most migrants are under 45, with 36 percent aged 25–34. The median age of respondents is 34. Overall, 52 percent of migrants are female and 48 percent were male.

  • The four main ethnic groups of migrants are European (42 percent), Chinese (15 percent), South African (9 percent), and Indian (8 percent).

  • Over half of all migrants live in the Auckland region, with the Canterbury and Wellington regions the next most popular.  Half of all migrants live in the Auckland region, followed by 13 percent in the Canterbury region, 11 percent in Wellington, and 6 percent in the Waikato.

  • Fifty-eight percent of migrants are approved through skilled migration categories.

  • The main region of origin of migrants is the United Kingdom/ Republic of Ireland (32 percent), followed by North Asia (18 percent) and the Pacific (12 percent).  Of all the skilled migrants, 42 percent are from the UK/ Republic of Ireland, followed by North Asia (13 percent) and South Africa (12 percent). Business migrants are predominantly from North Asia (63 percent).

  • A notable proportion of migrants from the UK/ Republic of Ireland (18 percent) and the rest of Europe (18 percent) settled in Canterbury. A high proportion of North American migrants (21 percent) settled in Wellington.

  • Fifty-nine percent of migrants speak English as their main language or as a language they speak best, while a further 27 percent report having good or very good English language skills.

  • After English, the most common languages spoken best by new migrants were Chinese languages followed by Hindi.

  • Migrants who are more proficient in English are more likely to establish relationships with friends outside their own ethnic group than are migrants with poor English language ability.

  • About a quarter of the European migrants (excluding UK/ Republic of Ireland migrants) report English as a language they speak best.Nearly 70 percent of this group report having good or very good English language skills. Fifty-three percent of South Asian migrants report English as a language they speak best. About half of the North Asian migrants and 44 percent of those from Southeast Asia report speaking good to very good English.

  • Sixty-five percent of all migrants speak more than one language. Migrants from the UK/ Republic of Ireland and North America were most likely to report speaking only one language, while more people from South Africa, North Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific report fluency in two languages. About half of the migrants from the rest of Europe and South Asia report speaking three or more languages.

  • The most important reasons for migrants to choose New Zealand are the relaxed pace of life or lifestyle (44 percent), the climate or clean green environment (40 percent), and the opportunity to provide a better future for their children (39 percent).

Article uploaded June 2009.

Last updated: 14 March 2012