The origin of this study was an invitation by the New Zealand Business Roundtable to come to New Zealand and think about revamping immigration policy so that it might better fit in with the now fairly deregulated, outward‐looking economic environment in New Zealand. This was a somewhat risky proposition in that ʹparachute expertsʹ may get things badly wrong when they deal with such intricate matters as immigration. Ultimately, immigration is about the future make‐up of a society; it touches everyone, often in emotional ways. This inquiry should therefore be read as a piece that aims to provoke reexamination of set views and policies rather than giving definitive and prescriptive answers.