Meridian · Freshness tracker

What's changed.

Dated updates to visa, tax, residency, citizenship, housing, and labour policy across every country tracked. Every entry cites its primary source and the date we last verified it.

Subscribe via RSS ↗ · 3 entries shown

Country All countriesAQAntarcticaAUAustraliaBRBrazilCACanadaCNChina (Mainland)EGEgyptFRFranceDEGermanyHKHong KongIEIrelandITItalyJPJapanMXMexicoMAMoroccoNLNetherlandsNZNew ZealandPTPortugalSGSingaporeZASouth AfricaKRSouth KoreaESSpainAEUnited Arab EmiratesGBUnited KingdomUSUnited States
Category All categoriesVisa & immigrationResidencyCitizenshipTaxationLabourHousingHealthcareOther
In force 1 Aug 2024
In force Residency

Parent Category Resident Visa reopened with revised criteria

The Parent Category Resident Visa was reopened from August 2024 with revised criteria — income threshold for the NZ-based sponsor, age-based subcategories, and a modest annual quota. Had been closed to new applications since 2016; reopening restores a structural pathway for family reunification of skilled migrants' parents.

Who it affects: Parents of NZ citizens and residents seeking permanent residence.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 27 Nov 2023
In force Residency

National-ACT-NZ First coalition government formed

The National-led coalition government (National, ACT New Zealand, NZ First) was formed on 27 November 2023 after the October 2023 general election. Coalition agreement commitments have been implemented progressively — AEWV employer-accreditation compliance focus, minimum-wage-threshold enforcement, review of several Labour-era programmes. Overall pro-skilled-migration direction maintained.

Who it affects: Broad immigration policy direction through 2024–2026.

Beehive — NZ Government releases ↗ · New Zealand Government ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 9 Oct 2023
In force Residency

Skilled Migrant Category reformed to 6-point qualification structure

SMC reformed from the legacy points-based Expression of Interest system to a simpler 6-point qualification structure in October 2023. Applicants gain points from qualifications (degree), income level (above median wage band), or professional registration — plus a skilled NZ job or job offer. Materially simpler to assess pre-application than the legacy scoring.

Who it affects: All prospective Skilled Migrant Category permanent-residence applicants.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) ↗ · Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ↗ · verified 2026-04-19