Over the last year, Ministers of Immigration have exercised the special direction powers a total of 18 times. One of these uses benefited around 20,000 people by extending temporary visa entry class visas held by certain employer assisted workers and their family members. And also, in February, I extended the temporary visitor visas of 9,500 people for two months so that they could remain lawfully in New Zealand while they were organising travel home or applying for further visas. 