Petition request

That the House of Representatives urge the Government to provide a residence pathway for skilled hairdressers and barbers working lawfully in NZ by adding the occupation to the Trades and Technician pathway or moving it from the Immigration New Zealand Red list to the Amber list including commission as income.

Petition reason

From 24 August 2026 hairdressers and barbers sit on the Immigration New Zealand Red list. The trade has no registration, no compulsory qualification and no degree route, so we think almost no one would meet the remaining criteria for the Skilled Migrant Category. We think the industry faces a severe skills shortage, yet stands to lose the very people filling it. We believe targeted enforcement, rather than a blanket ban, should deal with any situations of fraud.

Signatures are now being accepted
14 days left
Closing date: 29 Aug 2026 11:59 PM NZST
2318 signed
Sign Petition

Petition progress

  • Open for signatures
  • Closed for signatures
  • Select Committee
  • Reported
  • Referred to Minister
Number of signatures: 2318
Closing date: 29 Aug 2026