After two years and four months of the Covid-19 border restrictions, the government will take the final step of its “reconnection plan”, allowing visitors from visa-free countries to apply for a visa to enter New Zealand.
Tourism Secretary Stuart Nash and Immigration Secretary Michael Wood announced earlier this week that the border would fully reopen at 11:59pm on July 31.
Nash said that while visitors from “major markets” such as Australia and the US have been able to travel to New Zealand from April and have seen a “strong increase in arrivals” to the Kiwi shores, he expects the full reopening to allow the tourism industry will set well on the road to recovery.
“Today’s change in border settings marks the latest milestone for our reconnection strategy,” Nash said.
“This is great news for the tourism industry and economy as we approach spring and summer, with people from the Northern Hemisphere booking their winter holidays. We have heard optimistic reports from tour operators ready to welcome international visitors from all over the world. welcoming back world.”
Tomorrow also marks the opening of the sea border for cruise ships, specialist ships and recreational vessels such as seagoing yachts.
“Cruise ship returns are a new impetus for local communities. Pre-pandemic, their visits were worth more than $500 million a year, of which $356 million was spent on land, making a valuable economic contribution to our regions,” Nash said. .
“Most cruise visits are during the warmer months from October to April, and summer is generally our peak tourism season. This means it will be full steam ahead for the industry, which can confidently plan for the rest of the year.” year and beyond.”
Nash said the government’s $49 million Tourism Kick-start Fund has helped 481 businesses most affected by the border closure and has enabled operators to prepare for the return of international visitors.
“Globally there is a pent-up demand for people to visit New Zealand. In January, 58 percent of Australians who would like to visit New Zealand wanted to come within six months of the borders opening. This number is even higher for our US target market, at 77 percent and we’re ready,” he said.
Wood said the changes in border settings today meant the resumption of key visa categories, including students and visitors.
People coming to New Zealand to work will mainly use the accredited employer work visa, which opened on July 4, to enter the country.
“Before the pandemic, the international education sector was worth several billion dollars to our country and education providers,” Wood said.
“While we have continued to support the sector with exceptions at the border during the pandemic, the full resumption of visa processing is great news for our universities, colleges and wananga, and schools, anglophone schools and private training institutions.
“As we warmly welcome the world to our shores, now is the perfect time to show New Zealand to the world.”
When Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the reopening date of the border on July 31 in May, she also predicted a series of immigration changes, including routes to residence for highly skilled workers that are in demand worldwide.
Ardern said the changes would help address immediate skills shortages and accelerate the economic recovery from Covid-19.
Changes to immigration settings include a simplified immigration process and visa extensions for about 20,000 migrants already in New Zealand to ensure skilled workers remained in the country.
It also included a “Green List” of more than 85 hard-to-fill positions to attract and retain skilled workers to fill skills gaps.
This included a streamlined and prioritized residency pathway that incentivized skilled workers in the healthcare, engineering, trade and technology sectors to relocate to New Zealand on the long term.
The Green List included 56 jobs that could go straight to residency and 29 jobs where people could apply for residency after two years.
“New Zealand is in high demand and now fully open for business,” Ardern said.
“This is good news for families, businesses and our migrant communities. It also provides security and good preparation time for airlines and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand during the peak spring and summer season.”
But reopening our borders could quadruple the number of Covid cases posted abroad in our communities – raising the risk of another major wave of infection later this year.
In a new analysis, a team of scientists analyzed data from just over 10,400 complete genomes of the virus sequenced in New Zealand between December and mid-June.
It showed that while there was a clear trend of virus variants and sub-variants succeeding each other over time – as happened with Delta, Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2 and now our wave-driving BA. 5 – there was also a pattern associated with edge settings.
The study, published online ahead of peer review, found that an increase in the more transmissible BA.5 and BA.2.12.1 subvariants entering our communities coincided with a gradual return to pre-pandemic levels of arrival rates of international travelers.