Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand (LisNZ) – Wave 1

Highlights

Most migrants had a high level of English language ability (86.5 percent), either reporting their English language skills as good or very good (27.2 percent) or as a language they spoke best (59.3 percent).
Sixty-seven percent (67.0 percent) of migrants aged 16 years and over held a post-school qualification, and nearly half (47.4 percent) held an advanced vocational qualification or university degree.
The three most common reasons migrants chose New Zealand were for the relaxed pace of life or lifestyle (44.1 percent), the climate or clean, green environment (39.6 percent) and the desire for a better future for their children (39.0 percent). Most migrants (92.5 percent) were satisfied or very satisfied with life in New Zealand.
Most migrants (85.7 percent) had spent some time in New Zealand prior to gaining permanent residence, and over half (54.6 percent) had been employed in New Zealand before.
At the time of interview, 94.9 percent of skilled principal migrants were in the labour force. Of these, 1.9 percent were seeking work.

Graph, Immigration Approval Category by English Language Ability.

Geoff Bascand	19 May 2008
Government Statistician	ISSN 1178-8682