The Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand (LisNZ) is a study designed to produce detailed information on the settlement outcomes of migrants over time. The LisNZ is interviewing the same cohort of migrants at six, 18, and 36 months after taking up permanent residence in New Zealand.
New Faces, New Futures: New Zealand presents findings from Wave 1 (six months post residence), providing a comprehensive overview of early settlement experiences. Wave 1 included interviews with 7,137 migrants aged 16 years and over who were approved for permanent residence in New Zealand. Along with detailed descriptive information on the profiles of the migrants six months into residence, the report focuses on their:
- skills and resources
- labour market activities and economic integration
- social integration and settlement.
The results from this survey lend strong support to immigration selection policies that value migrants with the language, skills, and qualifications that complement the needs of the New Zealand labour force.
Fast Facts
A series of Fast Fact sheets summarising the findings on topics covered by New Faces, New Futures: New Zealand is available below. Fast Facts provide quick and easy snapshots that highlight findings from the Wave 1 descriptive report.
Fast Facts 1: Demographic Characteristics of Permanent Migrants PDF [1543KB]
Fast Facts 2: Language Skills of Permanent Migrants PDF [1536KB]
Fast Facts 3: Previous Experience in New Zealand PDF [1535KB]
Fast Facts 4: Motives and Processes of Migration PDF [1542KB]
Fast Facts 5: Skills, Qualifications, and Work Experience of Permanent Migrants PDF [1567KB]
Fast Facts 6: Employment Outcomes for Permanent Migrants PDF [1563KB]
Fast Facts 7: Income and Assets of Permanent Migrants PDF [1513KB]
Fast Facts 8: Living Arrangements of Permanent Migrants PDF [1572KB]
Fast Facts 9: Settlement PDF [1553KB]
Fast Facts 10: Satisfaction with Life in New Zealand PDF [1588KB]
Fast Facts 11: Social Relationships and Networks PDF [1577KB]
Fast Facts 12: Perceptions of Discrimination and Safety PDF [1559KB]
Background
Immigration is critical to New Zealand’s economy and national identity. Migrants drive innovation, give New Zealand businesses international connections, and provide skills to transform our economic landscape. Immigration also strengthens families and communities, enhances social and cultural diversity, and promotes New Zealand's international interests.
With about 20 percent of New Zealanders born overseas and 25 percent of migrants in New Zealand’s workforce, New Zealanders recognise immigration’s importance and see it as a vital part of our culture.
What is longitudinal research?
Longitudinal studies interview respondents multiple times over a given period.
The research literature is unanimous in endorsing the longitudinal approach as the best way to gain an understanding of the complex dynamics of migration and the settlement processes. The United States of America, Canada, and Australia undertook longitudinal immigration surveys in the 1990s and their experience has shown that the data provides a timely and effective instrument to inform policymakers and planners about what is happening in the immigration and settlement area.
What is the LisNZ?
The main objective of the LisNZ (Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand) is to improve understanding of settlement processes and outcomes for migrants, and their impact on New Zealand. The information will help develop a picture of migrants’ contributions to New Zealand, their settlement experiences, and labour market outcomes. Longitudinal Immigration Survey – At a glance PDF [166KB]
The Mäori name for the survey is Te Ara o nga manene – ‘the pathway of the migrants’.
The Department of Labour began work on the feasibility of LisNZ in 1997. Statistics New Zealand later became the partner for developing and carrying out the survey. A Pilot Survey Report was released in March 2004.
The Department of Labour will use the survey results to help assess the benefits and impacts of immigration.
This information will be used to inform immigration policy development, particularly in the areas of immigration selection and settlement policies. Other government and non-government agencies will also use the information to help develop their policies, programmes, and services for migrants. All information collected will be confidential and participants will not be identifiable.
Survey method
The LisNZ involves face-to-face interviews with the same migrants at six months (Wave 1), 18 months (Wave 2), and 36 months (Wave 3) after taking up residence.
LisNZ participants were randomly chosen from migrants approved for New Zealand residence between November 2004 and October 2005. Only those migrants aged 16 years and over were asked to take part.
Every effort was made to ensure that the LisNZ is representative of the population of migrants that were approved to take up residence in New Zealand in the above time period.
The research is confidential with participants unable to be identified. Neither researchers from the Department of Labour, nor the public, will have access to the names of the people who took part in the survey. That information is kept strictly confidential within Statistics New Zealand.
In Wave One, 7,137 migrants were interviewed. Statistics New Zealand interviewers contacted each person taking part to arrange a suitable time and place for the interview. Interviews were generally conducted in participants' homes.
Participants were asked about their life before and after migrating to New Zealand, and how well they are settling here. The survey included a range of detailed questions on:
- employment
- housing
- health
- business involvement
- income and assets
- education and training
- social networks
- the use of social services, and
- satisfaction with life in New Zealand.
First release of results
On 19 May 2008, the first results from the LisNZ were released by Statistics New Zealand in a Hot off the Press (HOTP) publication. This report provides a good summary of the outcomes being achieved by migrants six months after arrival. To read this report, see Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand (LisNZ) – Wave 1 on the Statistics New Zealand website.
Second release of results
On 29 May 2009, the results from the second wave of the LisNZ were released by Statistics New Zealand in a Hot off the Press (HOTP) publication. This release assesses changes in labour market and settlement outcomes for the same cohort of migrants at six (wave 1) and eighteen (wave 2) months after taking up permanent residence. To read this report, see Longitudinal Immigration Survey: New Zealand – Wave 2, 2008 on the Statistics New Zealand website.
Future releases
In the future, a number of reports will be released that will focus on key topic areas of interest to researchers, policymakers, and service providers. In addition, survey data will be made available for use by other agencies and researchers through Statistics New Zealand’s data lab services.
The public, migrant communities, and those who work with them, will be able to get reports from the survey once these become available. This information will help these groups to design and deliver better services to future migrants. Again, the identities of people taking part in the survey will be kept confidential.
More information
If you'd like more information about the LisNZ survey, please contact IMSED Research at: research@dol.govt.nz.
To receive updates about all areas of Immigration Research, register with the Department of Labour's email service. (This link will take you to an external website.)