Immigration Minister refuses to lower English standards for migrant bus drivers

Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Immigration minister Erica Stanford has refused calls to lower the English standard for urgently needed bus drivers struggling to gain residency, saying it is her expectation that New Zealand residents be fluent.

Migrant bus drivers who risk losing their visa took to Parliament to present a petition on Tuesday, arguing the postgraduate level English standard is unreasonable for bus drivers.

Drivers told The Post they were never told about the English test during the application process and would have never moved if they knew. One family sold their business in hope of a better life.

The drivers were brought to New Zealand in 2022 and 2023 to fill an acute gap in the workforce which left people waiting hours for public transport and travelling on overcrowded buses.

About 20% of the bus driver workforce, or 1000 drivers, are on a temporary visa.

To qualify for a skilled residence visa, applicants must score at least 6.5 in The International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or exceed equivalent scores in other English language tests.

The level is higher than that needed for international students to enter undergraduate study at University of Auckland.

An open letter by Bus and Coach Association to Immigration Minister Erica Stanford calls for the standard to be dropped to a score of 5.5.

Stanford said the standard had stayed the same for many years and the Government had no intention to change it.

“There's plenty of time for them to be able to improve their English language. It's what we expect from all migrants.”

She said more than 400 drivers had already met the standard already.

Labour spokesperson Phil Twyford said it was unfair for drivers, who came to New Zealand with a promise of residency during an “hour of need” for the public transport system, to now have to face sitting exams requiring “ridiculously high” standards.

“They came here, they uprooted their families, they often sold businesses, they moved here in the hope of of making a new life.”

With many visas up around the same time, he was concerned for New Zealand’s public transport system, remembering the dozens of cancelled services every day.

It was 'blatant discrimination” against the drivers when the Government introduced a new visa for international investors contributing more than $5 million who did not have to sit an English language test, he said.

Promises of residency for Fijian family

Edvin Vridush Prisad said when he was interviewed in Fiji for the role, he was promised residency after two years, finding out only after he had moved that he would need to sit a language test.

“We can't do 6.5 and if we [could], we would not be driving the buses.”

Vridush Prisad hired a private teacher to sit the exam, but did not pass, saying it was “very, very hard” but he had no problem speaking conversationally with passengers every day.

His wife Ashnita Mala sold her $30,000 hair salon to come to New Zealand with her husband.

“If we would have known there would be an English test requirement, no-one would have come here to struggle,” she said.

“Our kids are well settled in New Zealand and they have adapted to the school system. How will they feel when they have to go back?”

She questioned how drivers that didn’t know English would be able to come to the country and interact well with passengers, saying it was “classist” for Stanford to grant other visas such as the Active Investor Plus Visas, without language requirements.

“Chaos” if nothing changes

Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March said his party wanted to see employers determine whether a bus driver will be able to communicate on the job, rather than the Government.

“If we're going to be building a modern public transport system that serves the needs of everyone, we need bus drivers who can stay in the country, that we can retain and recognize that behind every bus driver there's a family and a livelihood that we're putting now at risk.”

Greater Wellington Regional Council public transport committee chairperson Ros Connelly said there would be “chaos” in the public transport system if nothing changed.

“It will be back to the days of having to sit on a very overcrowded bus, have your bus drive past you, or not show up at all.”

She said it was difficult last time to fill the workforce with domestic workers, with its long hours and New Zealand roads often requiring skill.

“History has shown us that this isn't a field that domestic workers are particularly keen on.”