Re-Open New Zealand Immigration's Sibling Category

This is to bring your attention to the Sibling Visa category. On 29 November 2010, the then National Government choose to freeze the immigration category known as the Sibling Visa, that allows brothers and sisters of the New Zealand citizens to reunite with their family.

Freezing the Sibling Category allowed the Government to conduct a review. There were rumours that people on Sibling Category Visas were taking advantage of social assistance, and allegations of immigrants abusing the system in ways such as bringing the siblings over from another country, then the family (brothers and sisters) leaving the siblings "on their own", without taking any responsibility of them.

However, it was later concluded that there is no evidence that this is the case. In the meantime, they decided to shut the New Zealand Sibling Category.

I am an Indian born and bred. My brother lives in New Zealand since 2008. He is a New Zealand citizen and this change in the law has pulled him away and far from the family for more than a decade, whenever he wishes to see us he needs to apply for a visa and then come and meet his family, that too on a tourist visa valid for a limited time span. When he immigrated to New Zealand it was family dream to go and stay there together but with passage of time New Zealand has not only shut Sibling Visa but also Parent Category. This has in a way separated our family and left him alone in the country.

Reopening the sibling category will provide an opportunity to re-join the heart broken families in New Zealand with their loved ones. Ours is only one story, there are a myriad of others with different stories, and some families, brother and sisters have been waiting since a long time for re-opening of this visa category. The fact remains that INZ has done the investigations, and has come up with findings suggesting that the Sibling Category has not been abused, nor it is harmful for the country's future. It is time now that something should be done to have the category re-opened so that our family, along with another families, be reunited with their loved ones.

Apart from this covid-19 has exponentially affected the economy of the countries, dropped their growth rate, GDP and progress. The re-opening of Sibling Visa will aid in country's growth and additional increases in per-capita income, size of the labour force and an increase in the productive capacity of the economy. They will also ease worker shortage of the New Zealand, as migrants will surely contribute to the economy with their skills and expertise, making it beneficial for the long-term growth and prosperity of the economy of New Zealand.

Moreover, with expansion of labour force there is going to be rise in tax revenues and potential for government spending. As they will spend their wages in their new country on goods, housing, and transportation.

The educated newcomers will also result in strong job creation in various sectors including professional, scientific, and technical services and pave way to more economic productivity, by magnifying the approach and arena of the country. The overall economic effect of migration will be positive, making New Zealand a culturally diversified country, providing net benefit to the government budget with their skills, development, innovation and progress.

Hence, in public interest and in interest of the New Zealand, I am requesting you all, let us all come together, unite and sign this petition. So that this petition gets the attention of the Right Honourable Immigration Minister and New Zealand Prime Minister and they decide to re-open the sibling visa category that will lead to the reunion of separated families.