Prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi of Samoa says New Zealand needs to do more to help applicants under its annual immigration quota find jobs.
New Zealand has failed to fill the 1100 places in the latest quota, despite giving those picked from the ballot extra time to find a permanent job to qualify for residency.
The prime minister says the scheme is too inflexible and should be open to those with seasonal jobs and Samoan immigrants legally in New Zealand and looking for work.
He says those picked from the quota ballot should also be allowed short-term visas to look for a job.
Immigration New Zealand says it sometimes give temporary visas for job interviews, but there's no policy to allow hundreds of people in to look for a job.
