Todd McClay says no reason for concern about India migration changes

The Trade Minister says immigration changes following the India free trade agreement would not breach that deal's non-discrimination clauses.

At the first reading of the legislation supporting the deal, New Zealand First leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters accused National of covertly making changes that would discriminate against Indians migrating to New Zealand.

He read aloud from a briefing he claimed showed officials raising concern about changes Immigration Minister Erica Stanford had "approved" that would be "more restrictive in a way which targets India and India alone", and could impact relations with the country and New Zealand's reputation.

However, Trade Minister Todd McClay quickly rebuffed those claims, saying New Zealand First was "wrong about this" and "should stop promoting misinformation for the sake of gaining votes".

Stanford subsequently suggested Peters had broken from usual processes in taking those discussions public before final decisions had been made, and was putting the relationship at risk.

However, with neither National nor NZ First being willing to release the document the public remains in the dark about exactly what the changes are.

McClay - announcing on Sunday a National Party policy to prioritise seven markets for trade deals - said he could not talk about the detail of immigration changes.

"Ministers are working through and still making decisions," he said, echoing Stanford's comments.

He said the public would have to wait until those final decision were revealed, but indicated "as an example" that some changes were being made to enact a new visa for India based on the trade deal, which no other country would have access to.

"It's based upon that negotiation ... we always meet our obligations under free trade agreements. We will in as far as the India-New Zealand free trade agreement is concerned as well."

"New Zealand takes its obligation seriously in all trade agreements. There is detailed negotiation, and both sides always understand both their obligation and commitment. I'll be very clear, we will meet our obligations under the Indian Free Trade Agreement in all senses."

Asked how the changes being considered were non-discriminatory, McClay said there were "lots of examples of trade agreements that treat different countries differently, depending upon what has been negotiated".

"We will meet all of our obligations. There is no reason for people to be concerned."

Peters' claims included that National would be:

imposing on Indian citizens a labour market/economic needs test that doesn't apply to citizens of other relevant FTA partners

precluding Indian citizens from applying for a temporary employment entry visa from within New Zealand, an option available to citizens of other relevant FTA partners

treating Indian citizens worse than the citizens of other relevant FTA partners when it comes to their partners and children; and

precluding Indian citizens from counting work experience on a temporary employment entry visa towards residency requirements, a right extended to citizens of other relevant FTA partners

The trade deal announced in December creates a new temporary employment entry (TEE) visa for Indian citizens, for select occupations where New Zealand has a skills shortage.

This includes ICT fields, engineering and specialised health services, Ayush (Indian traditional medicine) practitioners, music teachers, chefs and yoga instructors, with the number of TEE visas capped at no more than 5000 at any one time over a three-year period.