More jobs for teachers, skilled workers opened in New Zealand
The country changes work visa rules to stop exploitation of immigrant workers
Wellington: New Zealand has introduced some major changes to its work visa policy to control 'unsustainable' immigration.
The country is introducing immediate changes to its employment visa program after a near record migration last year which it said was "unsustainable".
Those who want to work in New Zealand must read this before the decide to make a move.
Work visa changes
The changes include measures such as introducing English language requirement for low skilled jobs and setting a minimum skills and work experience threshold for most employer work visas. The maximum continuous stay for most low skilled roles will also be reduced to three years from five years.
The changes are geared towards ensuring to fill the available jobs in the market. Changes introduced recently to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) scheme will ensure New Zealand is attracting the skills it needs, and reducing the vulnerability of migrants to exploitation, the country’s Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said in a statement.
LISTEN: Immigration Minister Erica Stanford discusses the recent changes to Accredited Employer Scheme, which are designed to reduce the number of low-skilled migrants entering New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/7WUOOFXGNG
— William McGimpsey (@TheZeitgeistNZ) April 8, 2024
Rebuild economy
“Getting our immigration settings right is critical to this Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. The Government is focused on attracting and retaining the highly skilled migrants such as secondary teachers, where there is a skill shortage. At the same time, we need to ensure that New Zealanders are put to the front of the line for jobs where there are no skills shortages,” she says.
In 2023 migration was 173,000 non-New Zealand citizens, a near record.
“It is important that the AEWV settings facilitate the right mix of skilled temporary migrants to address genuine skill and labour shortages, support rebuilding the economy, and to help manage numbers and pressures on core infrastructure, such as schools, housing, and the health system,” she added.
Major changes in work visa rules
Mandatory English language requirement for migrants applying for low skilled level 4 and 5 roles
A minimum skills and work experience threshold for most AEWV roles.
For roles that fall into the level 4 and 5, employers will need to engage with Work and Income before approval to bring in migrants will be granted
Reducing the maximum continuous stay for most level 4 and 5 roles from 5 years to three years
The franchisee accreditation category will be disestablished and these businesses will be to apply to bring in workers from overseas through the standard, high-volume, or triangular employment accreditation
“These steps improve the scheme’s integrity and will help to prevent migrant exploitation, following recommendations from the recent Bestwick review, which found serious issues with the AEWV processes,” said the Minister.
“By having an English language requirement migrants will be better able to understand their rights or raise concerns about an employer early.”
The Government is also not progressing plans to add 11 roles to the Green List such as welders and fitters and turners.
No more bus and truck drivers
“The Work to Residence pathway for bus and truck drivers is also closing to new applicants, as the shortages of drivers reported when this was established have been filled.
“These changes are the start of a more comprehensive work programme to create a smarter immigration system that manages net migration, responds to our changing economic context, attracts top talent, revitalises international education, is self-funding and sustainable, and better manages risk,” she explained
New Zealand, which has a population of about 5.1 million, has seen a rapid growth in its migrant numbers since the end of the pandemic, raising concerns last year that it was fanning inflation.