Advice has been requested by Immigration Minister Erica Stanford on how to slow the number of people entering the country after last year's net migration gain of 118,000 - the highest ever recorded in a single year.

The Immigration briefing, put together by MBIE, confirmed the record migration influx in the year to September 2023, noting the pressures it can put on the country's infrastructure and services.

It stated that the 2022 Productivity Commission Inquiry into immigration in New Zealand discussed these pressures and noted that "the supply of infrastructure is less responsive to population growth now than in the past".

The report also outlined that should there be a consistency between the population growth and the country's absorptive capacity - in areas like land supply, housing and education services - there will be "increasing difficulty" in taking in more migrants and providing high-quality services to locals.

Stanford, when asked by ZB Plus about the record influx, said that while it's important New Zealand was seen as an attractive destination for migrants, the current levels of net migration were not sustainable.

"In the face of a tightening labour market, we need to ensure that we attract the skills we need to meet genuine skill shortages while giving Kiwis the opportunity to fill available roles," she said.

The Immigration Minister also noted that the previous Labour Government's reset was about increasing the number of highly skilled workers in New Zealand and reducing the number of lower-skilled workers.

"This hasn't happened. In fact, exactly the opposite," she said.

"I'm also concerned about the immigration settings at the time that meant that applications were not properly verified, and risks were not adequately assessed. This in part led to an increase in migrant exploitation which will continue to come to light."

Immigration expert Scott Mathieson agreed there had been a large number of cases of exploitation in migrant workers last year, with predominantly low-skilled or unskilled workers entering New Zealand and flooding the labour market.

"New Zealand needs to attract high-end skills to match genuine employer needs and boost activity - and the briefing document is clear on these - which is a positive sign for the country," he told ZB Plus.

As a result of these concerns, Stanford said she's already requested advice from immigration officials on immediate and medium-term changes to the country's immigration settings.

In particular, she's keen on input around how to tighten up policy settings for the Accredited Employer Work Visa.

"My priorities are to manage New Zealand’s record high numbers of net migration to more sustainable levels, ensure that risk and verification settings are fit for purpose, revitalise international education and ensure that our settings are attracting the skills and talent we need to meet genuine skill shortages."

The immigration report also highlighted the "unprecedented challenges" for the immigration system following the Covid-19 pandemic.

When the border re-opened on July 31, 2022, and visa processing resumed, there were significant changes in who was allowed into the country due to the introduction of new visa categories.

Other events in New Zealand society such as the Afghan National Resettlement response, the 2021 Resident Visa, the war in Ukraine and the extreme weather events of early 2023 were also understood to have impacted the country's immigration capacities.

"The immediate post-Covid-19 period has seen a sharp spike in New Zealand’s net migration rate, and it is still unclear how much of this is catch-up, and what direction it may go in," the report stated.