If you've got it, we want it. Otherwise ‘no thanks'. That's Gareth Morgan's message to immigrants hoping to come to New Zealand. And no more education scams.

The newly-formed The Opportunities Party released its second policy yesterday, this time around immigration. And there's a test – if you can improve our kiwi standard of living we'll welcome you, but if not go somewhere else.

He's left out of this test the migrants that New Zealand accepts for humanitarian reasons, that's another issue. But he's left in all those who want to travel here on student visas, visitor working visas and what he regards as ‘low quality education packages'. Do they have what we want?

Firming up the pathways to staying on in NZ means overhauling the current study-to-work-to-residency process that seems, in his view, rife with low skilled people coasting in and brand blemishing New Zealand on the world stage as pretty average.

It's about putting out the welcome mat only to those who will bring talent that helps market NZ globally as a tech savvy place with an attractive lifestyle.

Some may say that this policy doesn't address that while we are bringing in overseas workers to do our jobs, our wages remain low and many kiwis remain unskilled.

What about training up New Zealanders into work and increasing wages? That's probably going to be covered in an education policy, still to come.

In responding to the global ripples, the TOP policy includes some emotive language on the party website.

'We need to focus on skilled people that are looking for a more liberal and tolerant society in the wake of Brexit, Trump and the march of ugly nationalism engulfing Europe.”

It also states the current process is ‘rife with rorts' and that ‘the regime is rotten”. What will the ‘desperate economic refugees from India or China' make of this, one wonders.

As well as bringing in more highly skilled migrants, the bullet point list of key elements for this policy on immigration include reforming the points system and pathway to permanent residency, applying tests for permanent residents, restricting working holiday visas, introducing a longer qualifying time for NZ Super, and giving jobs to kiwis first. Refugees and the exploitation of migrant workers are also mentioned.

While still to be fleshed out, this new immigration policy focuses the light on how education has become a good little export earner, but a back door for immigration.

That many overseas students come to New Zealand more for the pathway to residency than for the quality of education offered does need addressing.

And out of sight is the transient migrant working community in New Zealand which remains vulnerable and often underpaid.

Taking whatever job they can find, and paid under the table, they have put pressure on our health system and accommodation providers, with unregistered backpackers charging for up to 10 people in 1 room.

This new immigration policy from TOP may be the first prod of the stick to lift the carpet and see what wiggly 'short term wins” worms are hidden underneath.

'The Government has been using residency as a carrot to boost our education exports,” writes Gareth Morgan on his Facebook page. 'For them it is all about quantity, not quality. New Zealand should be attracting the top talent from around the world to live here.”

The Opportunities Party Smarter Immigration Policy can be viewed here- http://www.top.org.nz/top2