New Zealand likely to see decent migrant arrivals figures in coming months, says ANZ

Monthly net migrant arrivals to New Zealand remained strong in March near all-time highs. This scenario is unlikely to change much for some time, noted ANZ in a research report. Even if migration is increasingly in political spotlight, recent changes in visa requirements are not expected to have a marked effect for some time.

Visitor arrivals on a seasonally adjusted basis rebounded after declining in February. The underlying trend has flattened. However, with key events, New Zealand is expected to see decent arrivals figures in the months ahead, stated ANZ.

In March, the seasonally adjusted net migrant inflow came in at 6,100. This figure has effectively remained for the past six months, raising the annual total to nearly 72,000. Visitor arrivals on a seasonally adjusted basis rose 1.5 percent sequentially, reversing the decline seen in February. The annual growth is flat; however, it shows contrasting signals from lower Australian arrivals and solid growth from the U.S., Europe and certain Asian nations. Arrivals from China rose 4 percent year-on-year.