The Immigration Survey Monitoring Programme monitors new migrants to New Zealand, employers, and the New Zealand public. The purpose of the programme is to build up an evidence base about migrants’ settlement and labour market outcomes, employers’ experiences with migrants, and community attitudes towards immigration.
This report presents the findings from the 2009 Migrants Survey (Pilot). Findings from the survey of employers and the New Zealand public are presented in separate reports in this series.
Understanding the economic and social outcomes of migrants contributes to the development of effective immigration policy and settlement services. The Immigration Survey Monitoring Programme enables the monitoring of both the effects of immigration policy on migrants’ settlement outcomes and changes in the environment that may affect immigration policy and community attitudes towards immigration.
The 2009 Migrants Survey (Pilot) was conducted online and using telephone interviews in August–October 2009 and achieved a sample of 3,092 migrants. Of the total responses, 2,092 were achieved online and 1,000 were achieved via telephone interview. The survey will be repeated each year to measure changes and respond to new information needs.
Key Results
- Most respondents were satisfied with life in New Zealand (89 percent), and most felt safe from crime (78 percent). More than half (52 percent) felt more welcome in New Zealand than they had expected to feel.
- Thirty-seven percent of respondents found the cost of living in New Zealand was higher than they had expected it to be, and 37 percent felt their household income was not enough to support themselves and their family.
- Employment outcomes were positive across several indicators, particularly for skilled principal migrants and Essential Skills temporary workers.
- Sixty-eight percent of principal migrants, 92 percent of skilled principal migrants, and 96 percent of essential skills workers were in paid employment.
- Eighty-two percent of skilled principal migrants said their current job matched their skills and qualifications. Generally, the higher the skill level of the job, the greater the match to respondents’ skills and qualifications.
- Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents working in a skilled job earned $40,000 or more. Forty-three percent of skilled principal migrants earned $60,000 or more. The median income from wages and salaries for all New Zealanders is around $39,300 per year.
- More than half of the respondents lived in Auckland (53 percent). Most rented their accommodation (61 percent), but 7 percent owned their home without a mortgage.
- Most (87 percent) respondents planned to stay long term in New Zealand, and many wanted to gain New Zealand citizenship (73 percent of permanent residents).
- Just over one-third (35 percent) of respondents planned to sponsor family, in particular their parents.