America's Loss New Zealand's Gain
In our news this last week - officials reveal that they have seen a sharp increase in the number of health professionals applying for visas to come and live and work in New Zealand.
New Zealand, of course, is welcoming the surge. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, technicians are all in short supply in our overstretched health system.
This is probably the first thing Donald Trump has ever done to make a positive difference to my country.
RE: America's Loss New Zealand's Gain
You can likely credit your country's
own policies for that moreso than any particular change on the US side. This is the free market at work. New Zealand has a shortage of health workers and the US has a surplus. (People will debate this, but the US imports and creates health care workers, so we are a net exporter of health care services and commodities). Adjusting visa policies loosens the market to behave naturally.
That said, with New Zealand as liberal as it is, it should come as no surprise that a change in political tides might provide further impetus for wealthy white liberals to move there now. Various medical grants in the US are phasing out and might not be renewed especially now with Musk and Ramaswamy at the helm as DOGE consultants trying to cut $2T from federal budgets. These sorts of cuts are not realistic but the efforts to streamline may disproportionately affect those with advanced degrees. New Zealand probably has a political climate more friendly to researchers, as we have a bit of a backlash happening now after all the "trust the science" language spewed by fake scientists during the early 2020s. Real scientists and engineers do not talk that way.

Bananafish308
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RE: America's Loss New Zealand's Gain
"...a change in political tides might provide further impetus for wealthy white liberals to move there now."
Why would that be?
After all, wealthy white liberals stand to become much wealthier under Trump's administration. Why would they leave under those circumstances? After all, most people by nature are primarily concerned with their own well-being and how things affect them personally. And greed is perhaps the most alluring of all self-serving motivations.
The answer is all too obvious to me, but I am curious to hear what YOU think the reason is.
RE: America's Loss New Zealand's Gain
Harambe, with respect, it seems you must always jump to the 'It's not Trump's fault' line.
We have been short of doctors and nurses for years - some of them poached by our friendly Australian neighbours who manage to pay more than our govt does.
The fact that the surge coincides precisely with Trump's election win seems to be fairly conclusive to me. Ever hear of Occam's Razor?
RE: America's Loss New Zealand's Gain
Yes, California lefties love to refer to Occam's Razor and they invariably misuse it. I just explained that it's a combination of things that also preceded Trump's election. This is
not new news and you're giving Trump way too much credit. Joe Biden is still President. Also, look up Hickam's dictum.