1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Update on the visa free travel policy for Chinese and 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: Pacific island to As you'll remember this, visited numbers from 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: China and the Islands have traveled since December. Eighty five 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: percent of the Chinese travelers are saying that the policy, 5 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: the policy change was a deciding factor in choosing to 6 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,639 Speaker 1: come here. Erica Stanford Immigration ministers. We've been this morning 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: and I think, good morning, Good morning, Ryan. So since December, 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: we've had is this right, thirty six thousand, nine hundred 9 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: terrorists have come in under the new visa free system. 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 2: That's right. Then, that's triple the number that we've had 11 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 2: since December, which was when we last looked at it, 12 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 2: which was a month after this new pathway opened. And 13 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 2: remembering it it's a joining a sort of trial of 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 2: this for twelve months to see how it works. 15 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, So that thirty nine hundred that's for one month, 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: is it? 17 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: That's over overall? So that's that's a tripling of the 18 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: number from thirteen thousand that we announced in December, right. 19 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: And with that thirteen thousand that was or how long 20 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: what period. 21 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 2: That was since since December? So tripled since December. But 22 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 2: remember this is only one small pathway. This is not 23 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 2: overall Chinese visits. We've got visitor visas and group visas, 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: there's a number of other visas. This is quite overall. 25 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 2: It's a small number, but it's still significant for the 26 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: New Zealand economy. And it's added about two hundred million 27 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 2: dollars into our local tourism businesses and hotels and in 28 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 2: hospitality businesses, which is great to keep with us. 29 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: Gotcha. So it's almost thirty seven thousand tourists have come 30 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: here under this visa since it began in December. And 31 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: so what you mentioned all the money that they're bringing, 32 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: which is all good stuff. Does this mean that is 33 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: this success? Do we keep the whole that you know, 34 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: it's a trial? Do we keep it going? 35 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 2: Now? Well, we're only a few months and we'll do 36 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: a review closer to the twelve month mark and we'll 37 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: take a look at some of the the entries and 38 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 2: the risks. And it hasn't been successful because of course, 39 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: what we do in the background is is look at 40 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 2: the risk and so far from what I have seen 41 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: and I get updated every month, of course, is that 42 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,799 Speaker 2: the risk is extraordinarily low because the Australians we're piggybacking 43 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: essentially off their visa processing. They have very robust visa 44 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 2: processing and so it is a very low risk activity 45 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 2: for us, and we've not seen anything yet apart from 46 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 2: the system working. There's been a couple of turnarounds and 47 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: a handful of where we've not issued the nz ETA document, 48 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: but that's just the system working well between Australia and 49 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 2: New Zealand. 50 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: Why did you turn them around? What are the risks 51 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: that will have overstayers? 52 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: They're just people that we wouldn't usually issue a visa too, 53 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 2: And if the Australians haven't issued them a visa, then 54 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:48,239 Speaker 2: we wouldn't have issued them in visa. In fact, the 55 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 2: Australians are little. When we look at the Australian declines 56 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: compared to our declines, they seem to be a bit 57 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: tougher than us soberall, so they're very robust. So it's 58 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,399 Speaker 2: a pretty risk reactivity for US. But we do information 59 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 2: sharing between the two countries and quite often when we're 60 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: looking to issure an ETA, if we get any information 61 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 2: that we shouldn't be from the Australians, then we don't. 62 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: But like I say, it's a tiny handful and it 63 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: shows the system is working very very well. So I 64 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 2: expect in a year's time, you know, it'd look pretty positive. 65 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 2: But we still got a long way to run, so 66 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 2: we'll keep an eye on it, all. 67 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: Right, Minister, appreciate your time this morning, Erica Stamford, Immigration Minister. 68 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 69 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: to News Talk Sat B from five am weekdays, or 70 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.