New Zealand Immigration: ACT and NZ First’s Proposed Policy Shifts for 2026

New Zealand Immigration: ACT and NZ First’s Proposed Policy Shifts

As New Zealand approaches the 2026 election, two political parties, ACT and NZ First, are advocating for significant changes to the country’s immigration policies. These proposals aim to tighten controls on who can gain and maintain residency, with ACT focusing on presence-based requirements and NZ First proposing broader restrictions on welfare access, citizenship, and deportation. These differing approaches highlight a growing debate about the future direction of immigration in New Zealand, moving the conversation from managed migration towards policies of exclusion.

ACT’s Proposal: Presence-Based Residency

The ACT party has put forward a plan to replace New Zealand’s current Permanent Resident Visa with a system tied to physical presence in the country. Under ACT’s proposal, a Resident Visa would come with a five-year travel facility. This facility would only be renewed if the visa holder spends a minimum of 730 days within New Zealand during any rolling five-year period.

This approach would shift away from indefinite residency status, introducing a recurring test of physical presence. Instead of relying solely on the initial approval of residence, the system would actively measure the time spent within New Zealand over each five-year cycle. Additionally, ACT suggests extending the initial travel conditions attached to a Resident Visa from the current two years to five years. Certain exemptions would still apply, including for individuals working abroad for New Zealand employers, accompanying family members, military personnel serving overseas, those with a New Zealand citizen spouse, and cases involving compelling humanitarian reasons.

NZ First’s 14-Point Immigration Overhaul

NZ First has announced a more extensive 14-point plan that addresses various aspects of immigration beyond just residency retention. A key proposal is to double the qualifying period for citizenship from the current five years to a minimum of ten years. Similarly, the party aims to extend the qualifying period for permanent residence from two years to five years. To support these changes, NZ First also plans to increase the application fees for both citizenship and permanent residence.

A significant part of NZ First’s plan involves a proposed 10-year welfare stand-down period. This would prevent non-citizens from accessing benefits such as Jobseeker support and the Accommodation Supplement for a decade after their arrival. This measure would directly link welfare access to immigration status for an extended period.

Stricter Deportation Rules and Settlement Limits

Beyond welfare, NZ First’s proposals include expanding the circumstances under which non-citizens can be removed from New Zealand due to criminal offenses. The plan calls for automatic deportation for serious crimes, including violent or sexual offenses, fraud, organized criminal activity, money laundering, aiding and abetting immigration law violations, and migrant exploitation. Furthermore, NZ First is proposing a 24-month amnesty period for overstayers to self-deport. After this period, individuals who remain without legal status would face deportation and a permanent ban on future visa applications.

For international students, NZ First wants to require those intending to switch to a different visa category to leave New Zealand and reapply from overseas. The party also advocates for a public referendum to decide on capping resident visas at 20,000 per year.

Contrasting Approaches and Criticisms

The proposals from ACT and NZ First present distinct but complementary strategies for tightening immigration. ACT’s focus is on ensuring residents actively live in New Zealand to maintain their status, while NZ First targets entry requirements, access to social benefits, the path to permanent residency and citizenship, and the powers of deportation.

Critics of these proposals warn that they could normalize anti-immigration sentiment by making migrants a political target. They express concern that the debate is shifting away from the principles of managed migration towards policies that promote exclusion. This divergence in policy ideas is set to be a central theme in New Zealand’s immigration discussions leading up to the 2026 election, with residence security, benefit access, and removal powers at the forefront.

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