Information from the longitudinal survey will be used in four major ways:
Policy development - immigration policy
As the survey output will link migrant settlement outcomes with selection criteria, this data will become one of the primary sources of information used for immigration policy analysis and research. The survey database will improve the timeliness and quality of immigration policy advice and will be used to evaluate, enhance and better target settlement services provided to new migrants and promote more effective targeting of migrants likely to succeed in New Zealand.
Insight into other policy development - social and economic portfolios
The data will be used in the process of reviewing specific policies and alternative options and providing advice to government on options for improving policy outcomes by several agencies and departments. These include the Departments of Labour, and Internal Affairs; Treasury; and Ministries of Health, Social Development, and Education.
Local government, the voluntary sector and community groups
Non-Governmental Organisations providing services to migrants will also make use of the survey data. The voluntary sector and local government will be better able to assess the impacts of immigration, assess the social assistance needs of migrants, and estimate migrants’ service take-up and expenditure patterns. Information on the settlement of migrants will also be useful for community groups and others who work with newly arrived migrants.
Academic research
Researchers in universities will carry out much of the more complex exploration, analysis and interpretation of the longitudinal data on migrants, in much the same way as they use Census data.