Changes in New Zealand Work Permits you should know

If you are thinking of working in New Zealand, then you must have a work or resident visa before you move to the country. Employers in New Zealand will not be ready to employ you unless you have a work visa.

 

You can apply for a temporary work visa if you:

Have a job offer from an employer in New Zealand

Are visiting the country for a specific purpose related to work

Want to join your partner in the country

Are from a country that has a special work scheme

Came to study and want to work in the country

 

New Zealand offers a range of work visas for people who want to work here for a specific period, these include:

• Essential Skills Work Visa
• Partnership Work Visa
• Work to Residence
• Study to Work
• Specific Purpose Work Visa
• Horticulture and Viticulture Seasonal Work Visas
• Religious Worker Visa

The most popular work visa option selected by migrants is the Essential Skills Work Visa. This is a temporary work visa; the duration and the terms of the visa depend upon the salary you will get and the labor market situation.

 

Some of these work visas can lead to a residence in the country. However, you must have the required experience, skills and qualifications.

 

You qualify for an essential skills work visa if your job offer matches any occupation on the list. If your skills and experience match, then you can apply for this visa.

 

To apply for this visa, you must:

Have an employment offer

Meet the registration requirements

Must be of good health and character

 

Provide proof that a New Zealand resident or citizen is not available to do the work they have been selected for

 

 Application process:

You can apply for a temporary work visa online on the immigration website of New Zealand. The online application process is fast and easy, and you can even get an eVisa if required.

 

Changes in the temporary work visa:

In September this year, the New Zealand government introduced some changes to the temporary visa which will impact how the employers here recruit temporary foreign workers. The changes proposed include:

• Having a new single visa called the temporary work visa to replace the six-present employer-assisted work visas
• Initiating an employee-led visa application process that will consist of three stages - employer check, job check and the worker check
• Categorizing jobs based on the level of pay instead of using skill bands that rely on combination of the level of pay and the category of the job under the ANZSCO
• Empowering the labor market test for low-paid jobs and provide access to high-paid jobs in rural areas
• Creating sector agreements for industries that recruit migrant workers
• Allowing lower-paid workers to bring their families to New Zealand
• Employers should have the required accreditation to hire a foreign worker.

With these changes, the government wants to ensure employers recruit foreign workers only if they are genuine shortages and employers across New Zealand have access to the skills and the labor that they need.

 

It will put pressure on employers to train and employ the local population. Moreover, the changes will reduce incidents of exploitation of temporary foreign workers and the misuse of the immigration system.

 

These changes will create a beneficial connection between immigration, education, skills and welfare systems and make them easy to navigate.

 

Why is the Government making these changes?

The New Zealand government wants to ensure that employers in the regions get access to get the workers that they need specially to fill critical job openings. However, the first priority will be given to the local population.

 

The changes will support the government’s long-term goals of workforce improvement. It will help to meet the skill-shortage challenge.

 

The changes will help the immigration, education and welfare systems to work in tandem.

 

These changes are intended to ease the process of hiring a temporary foreign worker by clarifying to employers whether they are qualified to hire a foreign worker for a job. The three-step employer-led visa application process is intended to achieve this.

 

The accreditation of employers wanting to hire foreign workers will ensure employers meet the regulatory standards for employment and immigration.

 

Benefits of the changes:

Employers will face little ambiguity when they want to hire a foreign worker thanks to the new checks and the set process when they want to recruit for positions with a high level of skills.

 

The changes recognize the different labor needs in different regions and sectors.

 

They define the clear, minimum standards to employ foreign workers and minimize the exploitation of the immigration system.

 

The changes will be implemented in stages between 2019 to 2021.

 

The changes to the work permit in New Zealand are expected to benefit employers who want to hire foreign workers and help the government solve the skill shortage issue.

 

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