New Zealand First wants to lure immigrants into towns and smaller cities under a new rural visa scheme.
It is also proposing a nationwide review to create a 30-year population plan.
New Zealand First’s policy has put more detail behind its call for an immigration reset, saying Covid-19 had created a unique opportunity for a fundamental rethink.
It said it wanted to find a majority view on the desired level of future population numbers.
The party’s manifesto includes a rural visa, with a legal obligation on foreign workers to stay in their specified place of settlement until they become residents.
It would apply to communities of fewer than 100,000 people, which includes cities such as Nelson, New Plymouth and Invercargill.
New Zealand First also wants to take away voting rights for residents, saying that move would make citizenship more attractive.
