Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is focusing its migrant marketing on Asia, with a new project to attract Singaporean skilled workers to New Zealand’s shores. 

New Zealand Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has told the New Zealand Herald about a pilot scheme that will try to lure Singaporeans wanting to work and study in New Zealand. The program will tell potential migrants about cheaper housing and car ownership in New Zealand, as compared to Singapore, and the relaxed lifestyle of Kiwis.  

The program is set to go live on New Zealand Now this month. According to the minister, a similar program was very successful in Britain and the US, where it managed to attract more than 70,000 registrations.

According to Massey University marketing researcher Henry Chung, shifting the focus to Asia will place New Zealand in a better position in the global economy. “We have found Asians to be more entrepreneurial and to have better business networks, not just with their home countries but also in their industries,” Chung told the NZ Herald.

Immigration expert Paul Spoonley, however, doubts that the campaign will attract many Singaporeans, as it is hard for New Zealand to compete with the country’s wages and career opportunities.