By Author
By Subject
Erica Stanford
More bureaucrats, more money, longer wait times
May 16, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
The Government has hired over 500 more staff at Immigration New Zealand since 2017 yet visa processing times have exploded, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Govt thinks nurses & midwives not critical enough
May 12, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
A two-year wait for nurses, teachers and midwives is senseless, National’s Immigration spokesperson, Erica Stanford says.
Govt’s immigration track record causes uncertainty
May 11, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Despite this afternoon’s immigration announcement, significant questions remain around how Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will be able to process these visas, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Workforce woes continue for tourism operators
May 06, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford,
Joseph Mooney
New Zealand’s tourism workforce is woefully understaffed and underprepared ahead of the busy ski season, National’s Associate Tourism spokesperson Joseph Mooney and Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford say.
Literacy and numeracy are still declining
May 06, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
The 2021 NCEA results confirm that literacy and numeracy achievement is going backwards under Labour, National’s Education spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Too little, too late for truancy epidemic
May 01, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Today’s announcement is a panicked reaction that will do little to arrest the truancy epidemic that has exploded under Labour’s watch, National’s Education spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
New border exceptions an admission of failure
April 12, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
New exceptions from immigration rules will do little to ease the critical skills shortage in New Zealand’s primary sectors and reflect the Immigration Minister’s incompetence, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Govt’s literacy and numeracy strategy gets an F
March 26, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Desperate parents who were hoping for bold action to urgently improve education outcomes for their children continue to be let down by the Government, National’s Education spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Critical healthcare workers still in residency limbo
March 20, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Doctors and nurses are leaving New Zealand because they still cannot get residency, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Govt must get working holiday-makers to NZ
March 18, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi must make New Zealand an attractive destination for working holiday-makers, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Immigration Minister to blame for delayed reopening
March 17, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
The Government’s failure to scale up Immigration New Zealand and prepare it for the border reopening is keeping families apart for longer and delaying our economic recovery, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Desperate Ukrainian families can’t wait for Govt
March 09, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
It’s been 14 days since Russian bombs started falling on Ukraine, yet the Government has done nothing to expedite visas for wider family members of Kiwi-based Ukrainians, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Farmers short-changed by Labour yet again
March 02, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Labour needs to explain why it is severely restricting the number of dairy farm workers allowed into the country for no apparent reason, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford and Agriculture spokesperson Barbara Kuriger say.
Govt urged to create special visa for Ukrainians
March 01, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
National is urging the New Zealand Government to create a special humanitarian visa for wider family members of Ukrainians who have settled in New Zealand, Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
No amount of spin will deliver RATs to schools
February 23, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Schools across the country are on the verge of shutting due to staff being forced to self-isolate yet the Government remains more focused on spin over delivery of rapid antigen tests, National’s Education spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Teachers tangled in Hipkins’ web of failure
February 12, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
The Ministry of Education’s emergency request for MIQ slots for teachers who should have been here for the start of Term 1 has been turned down, meaning schools will continue struggling under the strain of teacher shortages, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Ministry resorts to emergency MIQ to get teachers in
February 02, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
The Ministry of Education must now resort to applying for emergency MIQ spots meant for offshore Kiwis to get teachers into the country in time for term one after Chris Hipkins failed to allocate any rooms for them, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Immigration failure forcing nurses to leave NZ
February 01, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
Yet another immigration train-wreck is seeing nurses forced to leave the country for lengthy periods of time to attempt to secure a visa for their loved ones, at a time when Omicron cases are growing, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Government own-goal will cost students
January 12, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
As teacher shortages mount, National is again calling for COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins to urgently act and allocate MIQ spots for the teachers that he announced would be able to enter the country last July, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
MIQ failures create mayhem and distress for families with visas
January 08, 2022
Share
Erica Stanford
The Government has cruelly chosen not to fix known problems in the Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) online booking system that are keeping families from reuniting says National’s Spokesperson for Immigration, Erica Stanford.
New visa, same problems
December 29, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The Immigration Minister has shockingly admitted to just how underprepared Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is to cope with an influx of 2021 Resident Visa applications says National’s Immigration Spokesperson, Erica Stanford.
Huge failure for opening fortnight of 2021 Resident Visa
December 18, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The opening fortnight of the 2021 Resident Visa has been an appalling failure after a totally predictable crash of Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) IT system and less than a hundred visas being processed to date, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
MIQ spots urgently needed for teachers
December 10, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The border exception for 300 school teachers announced in July is looking to be another fancy headline bereft of any actual delivery, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Not-so-fast tracked residency visa falters on launch
December 01, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Desperate migrants who woke early today to finally get their residency applications submitted have been embarrassingly let down again as Immigration New Zealand’s online application system crashed, says National’s Immigration Spokesperson Erica Stanford.
Government border announcement makes Australia the destination of choice for skilled migrants and students
November 24, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Today’s detail-free border announcement that businesses and universities will have to wait at least another five months to welcome skilled workers and students to New Zealand raises more questions than it answers and is a huge set-back for New Zealand’s economic recovery, says National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford
Health Minister dithered for five months before arranging MIQ spots for critical health workers
November 03, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
It is unforgivable that Health Minister Andrew Little took five months to act before arranging priority MIQ spots for critical health workers, say National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford and Covid Response spokesperson Chris Bishop.
Government wakes up to National’s call for MIQ spots to be allocated to health workers
October 20, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The Government has finally got its act together and adopted National’s policy calling for MIQ spots to be allocated for critical health workers, says National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford and Covid Response spokesperson Chris Bishop.
Hipkins’ half-hearted attempt to secure MIQ spots for healthcare workers too long overdue
October 11, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins’ announcement last Thursday that he was looking to allocate MIQ spots for critical health workers is months too late and highlights the Government’s failure to prepare for the Delta outbreak, says National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford.
Government causing chaos in early learning sector
October 05, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The Prime Minister’s ill-considered announcement yesterday claiming more children could return to early learning centres in Auckland from tomorrow has caused chaos in the sector, National’s Early Childhood Education spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Govt adopts National’s Covid Contribution policy
September 30, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Today’s announcement from the Government is a retreat from its earlier position to drastically limit immigration to now adopting National’s Covid Contribution policy, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
National seizing immigration opportunities
September 29, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Opening up to the world doesn’t just give Kiwis the opportunity to come home, but it also gives New Zealand opportunities to attract talent from overseas, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Minister must seize opportunity to sort immigration crisis
September 28, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
National understands the Immigration Minister intends to make a long-overdue announcement this week about issues plaguing New Zealand’s immigration system after years of inaction and postponed promises, says National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford.
Critical healthcare workers must be granted residency as a priority
September 03, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The Immigration Minister must urgently reopen the frozen Skilled Migrant Category visa EOI pool and prioritise processing of residence applications for critical healthcare workers to keep them in New Zealand as we battle the Covid-19 outbreak, says National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford.
Labour rejects National’s request for Immigration Minister to front on Afghanistan situation
September 01, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Labour’s decision to reject National's motion for the Minister of Immigration to front the Education and Workforce Select Committee to answer questions about his and Immigration New Zealand’s role in how so many of our Afghan allies and their families who requested visas were left behind in Afghanistan is appalling, says National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford.
Minister not addressing serious issues in immigration
July 16, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The Immigration Minister’s announcement today has only been made to give him more time to fix the complete mess he has made of the new business accreditation process, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
No plan for the future of immigration
July 07, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi’s decision to lapse and refund 50,000 temporary visa applications is further evidence his Government has no plan to reopen New Zealand up to the world post-vaccination and isn’t listening to the desperate calls from businesses for international labour, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Another blow to migrant workers
May 11, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
The Government’s announcement to open up MIQ spots for thousands of additional migrant workers is another kick in the guts for migrants already in New Zealand and waiting to reunite with their families, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Long overdue relief for split migrant families
April 19, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
National is pleased a solution has finally been found for some of the migrants split from their families after the Government forced them to endure more than a year of distress and uncertainty, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Split migrant family inquiry cruelly vetoed by Labour
April 15, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Labour’s refusal to back a select committee inquiry into the issues migrants face is a further blow to those desperate to be reunited with their partners and children, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Parliamentary inquiry needed for migrant issues
April 06, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
A parliamentary inquiry would finally give a voice to the desperate migrants who feel unheard and ignored by Jacinda Ardern and her Government, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.
Robbery laws would be strengthened under new bill
March 25, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
A National Party Bill drawn from the Ballot today would see Police given stronger powers to charge someone with robbery, MP for East Coast Bays Erica Stanford says.
Travel bubble with Aus would help migrant workers
March 11, 2021
Share
Erica Stanford
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has failed to act on reuniting highly skilled migrant workers with their families, but if his Government just opened a travel bubble with Australia then the issue could be resolved, National’s Immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford says.