The first selection has taken place under the new Skilled Migrant procedure.

856 applications were selected with a points total of 140 or more.

144 applications were selected with a points total between 115 and 140. These applicants had offers of skilled employment in New Zealand.

A total of 1,000 applications - representing 2,180 people - were selected. These applicants will now undergo preliminary checks.

910 of the applications were from people with job offers or a job.

Immigration Minister David Cunliffe commented,

“The vast majority of these people selected for the next stage in the application process already have jobs in New Zealand, or offers of jobs - which shows they have the qualities needed by New Zealand employers.

“It is pleasing that interest from talented, experienced and skilled people remains high in this category following changes to the Skilled Migrant Category selection process that I announced last December.

“The changes were designed to benefit New Zealand’s labour market by prioritising highly skilled migrants and those with jobs or job offers in New Zealand.

“While pressure is easing on employers, there is still very low unemployment, the labour market remains tight and skill shortages remain acute. Skilled migrants are part of the solution to fill job vacancies and help employers with their business growth.

“The first selection under the new system shows that New Zealand remains a popular place for talented migrants to bring their skills and experience.”

The 10 countries most people were selected from