Visitors to the New Zealand rugby world cup are to be “spammed” with enticements to come back and live, work or play in New Zealand, according to a report in today’s Dom Post

Rugby World Cup visitors will be spammed by the Government in an effort to entice skilled migrants to New Zealand’s “exciting, vibrant and healthy” way of life.

Passenger arrivals cards, which must be filled in by everyone arriving at any entrance port, have been amended to include the question: “Are you here for the Rugby World Cup?”

Under a Labour Department proposal, visitors who answer “yes” – and whose occupations are on the list of skills shortages – will receive marketing material, including emails encouraging them to migrate….

For more about “New Zealand’s exciting, vibrant and healthy way of life” read some of our Facts and Stats pages and Migrants Tales.

The report goes on to say that fans will be told to sign up to a promotional website called New Zealand Now, apparently it “extols our “unique lifestyle” and offers assistance and information about migration.”

There is also a $67,000 advertising campaign (no expense spared here!) that will be aimed at skilled workers on holiday. This will result in strategically placed fliers (on recycled paper, we hope) and immigration ads in world cup publications and around the net.

Want to express an interest, or find out more about migrating to New Zealand? Here’s the first catch

“Information given on arrival cards would be used “over the longer term” to market New Zealand opportunities, including targeting people with occupations for which New Zealand has significant shortages..”

Once you’re on the database you’re likely to be hounded with information for ever more. We’re hoping that people will be able to de-register their interest when the time comes. There is a privacy issue here too: once your details on on the database who will have access to them, will you be able to ask for them to be removed?

“A Labour Department spokesman said possible privacy implications of using people’s personal information were being discussed with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. “

We hope they get that one sorted out before the first registrations start coming in, the cup kicks off next month.

Who are the people most likely to be ‘spammed’? According to the Dom Post’s report:

“Those who might expect to be targeted include engineers, surveyors, regional planners, early childhood and secondary school teachers, anaesthetists, audiologists, midwives, social workers, IT staff, chefs, mechanics, ship captains and film animators.”… more here

Which is an interesting list, some of those occupations are notoriously difficult to get in to, even for New Zealanders. Some require specific New Zealand experience and/or expensive and time consuming registration processes  before one can work in that profession in New Zealand (read our Migrants Tales to see why) Take a look at the official registration requirements here

If NZ immigration is so keen to bring in skilled professionals to fill genuine shortages why aren’t they paying registration fees for them? They could be refunded to an applicant if their SMC application is successful. More importantly do the job vacancies actually exist or is this just a revenue raising exercise?

Here’s the second catch: Last month the NZ immigration service made changes to the requirements of the Skilled Migrant Category. (Thanks to Moonlight and P Ray for the head’s up)

The changes include the following restrictions

• English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) qualifications will no longer meet the criteria for qualification points.

• Applicants who are in New Zealand and hold, or have held, Study to Work visas will no longer be eligible for a SMC Job Search Visa.

• Applicants with qualifications in an area of absolute skill shortage will no longer be able to automatically obtain residence without skilled employment.

• Settlement and contribution criteria will be weighted towards skilled employment.

• Partners and/or children of SMC Job Search Visas holders will no longer be automatically eligible for temporary visas related to the holder’s work visa.

It seems strange that immigration is tightening up on skilled migrant requirements, possibly because the jobs aren’t out there for immigrants (unemployment is still at 6.5%) whilst actively encouraging people to emigrate to New Zealand.

Read one of our Migrants Tales “No science or skills shortages in New Zealand” to get a feel for the opportunities that are really out there. Then do your own research before signing up to anything.