New Zealand parties split over visa-free entry for Pacific Islanders

New Zealand political parties are divided over whether Pacific Island Forum nationals should be able to enter the country without a visa, a proposal debated by six candidates during the Pacific Media Network's Pacific Vote 2026 Debate. The panel also clashed over how to treat overstayers and over a plan to freeze the minimum wage, issues that matter directly to Pacific travellers, workers and families.

Key facts

• Labour is committed to a visa-free waiver for Pacific Island Forum countries
• A survey found 78 per cent of respondents support visa-free travel or visa waivers for Pacific Islands Forum nationals visiting New Zealand
• ACT would back a targeted one-year trial for Sāmoa first
• NZ First wants an amnesty for current overstayers and changes to the Pacific quota system
• ACT proposes freezing the minimum wage for three years and setting the youth training wage at 60 per cent
• Advance voting opens 26 October; election day is 7 November

What is being proposed on visa-free travel?

Labour's Jenny Salesa reaffirmed her party's policy of a visa-free waiver for Pacific Island Forum countries, pointing out that more than 60 other nations already have visa-free entry into New Zealand. "The system is already there," she said, arguing that Pacific countries simply need to be included in it.

Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono backed the idea, citing families blocked at the border during emergencies, including people stopped while trying to attend funerals. The PMN News-Horizon Research Pacific Issues Election Survey found 78 per cent of respondents support visa-free travel or visa waivers for Pacific Islands Forum nationals visiting New Zealand.

ACT candidate Henrietta Devoe said her party would support a targeted one-year trial for Sāmoa first before considering other Pacific nations.

What do the parties say about overstayers?

NZ First's Alfred Ngaro, a former Pacific Peoples Minister, rejected quick-fix measures and called for a structured amnesty for current overstayers alongside fixes to the Pacific quota system. He proposed allowing overstayers to regularise their status over two years so they can become legitimate.

The PMN Horizon poll found 71 per cent of Pacific voters favour a formal pathway to residency or amnesty for long-term overstayers who are working and contributing to local communities. Ngaro also urged recruiting skilled workers directly from the Pacific region rather than relying on workers from elsewhere.

Devoe took a firm line on enforcement, saying anyone who overstays or breaks the rules should be deported.

What is proposed on wages and jobs?

The panel split over ACT's policy to freeze the minimum wage for three years and lower the youth training wage to 60 per cent. Devoe argued that lower starting costs encourage employers to take on inexperienced young workers, while Tuiono warned that low wages push young talent overseas.

National's Angee Nicholas highlighted a government target to create 220,000 jobs over four years and get 50,000 people off benefits by 2030. The Opportunity Party's Romeo Tevaga called for innovation, small business incubators and technology to drive high-wage growth for Pacific youth.

Cost of living and stagnant wages are the biggest concern for 64 per cent of Pacific households, the PMN Horizon survey found, and nearly 60 per cent of Pacific families worry about job security or youth unemployment.

What this means for travellers

These are election pledges, not current rules. Travellers from Pacific Island Forum countries still need to meet New Zealand's existing entry requirements, and no visa-free arrangement has been confirmed. Anyone planning travel should check whether their nationality is covered before booking.

Advance voting opens on Monday, 26 October, ahead of election day on Saturday, 7 November.