There's a noticeable grey tinge to the latest residence visa data, with a significant cohort of people aged 60-plus gaining New Zealand residency.
According to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which incorporates Immigration NZ, 48,003 residence visas were approved in the 12 months to the end of May.
Of those, 3135 (6.5%) were to people aged 60 and above. Another 2436 residence visas were approved to people aged 50-59.
The number of older people gaining residence visas has increased substantially over the last three years.
Back in 2019, before pandemic restrictions interrupted migration flows, just 957 residence visas were approved to people aged 60 and above, which was just 2.7% of total residence visa approvals (all figures 12 months to May).
But their numbers jumped above 3000 a year in 2024 and have stayed there ever since.
At the other end of the age scale, 13,251 residence visas were approved to people aged 0-19 years in the 12 months to May this year.
So altogether, older people aged 60-plus, children and teenagers made up just over a third (34.1%) of residence visa approvals in the May year.
Of the 48,003 residence visas approved in the 12 months to May, 8949 were Indian citizens, followed by 6060 citizens of the Philippines, 5973 people from China, 3162 South Africans, 2901 from the USA ,2274 Fijians, 2235 from the UK , 1923 Sri Lankans, 1530 Samoans and 678 people from Myanmar.
The graph below shows the annual trend in approvals for the 60-plus age group since 2017.
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6 Comments
With our existing loading from ever increasing grey hair, increasing this over 60s demographic seems a bit mad. Surely it is creating more pressure on and already overloaded heathcare system. Hopefully they all represent arriving with 3-4 younger tax payers actually living in NZ and paying tax here.
I’m scratching my head at how this stacks up. The immigrants we are bringing in are in the majority not big earners. I can’t imagine they’d be net positive on the tax payer with the current system especially when you consider super in its current format. Now we are bringing in their grandparents to be a further burden, all in the name of growth? While changing the face of NZ. You’re all seeing it play out in real time right in front of our eyes. Little India
Growth....in tax needed to fund healthcare costs.
Looks concerning when considering residency of over 24months gives full access to public healthcare. We already have significant pressures in healthcare (increasing need for joint replacements for mobility for one example, add in health related illnesses also for the older population bulge, and increasing complications of type II diabetes).
Seems like Simon "lets go for ten million" Bridges plan to increase customer$$$ for his lobby group is working just fine. Quaility of life for the rest of NZers, not so much.
Are we just a retirement location?
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