1) Visa extensions - Onshore - For visas expiring between 9 May and 31 December 2022 (dates inclusive)
· Work to residence- 6 six month extension of your work to residence visa
· Essential Skills Work Visa, Post Study Work Visa & Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa - The new open work visas: which are valid from 9 May 2022 until two years from the date of expiry of the previous visa
Link for detailed information - https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about- us/covid-19/in-new-zealand/visa-information/visa-extensions-and-visa-conditions
2) Partnership based work visas from December 2022
From December 2022, most partners of temporary migrant workers will be granted visitors visas. If they wish to work, they will need to qualify for an Accredited Employer Work Visa in their own right. Unlike other work visa holders, all partners can work less than 30 hours a week, reflecting they may have other responsibilities, such as childcare, and are not the primary household earner. To ensure New Zealand can attract high-skilled migrant workers, partners of migrants working in occupations on the Green List or paid twice the median wage will continue to receive automatic open work rights. There are no changes to automatic open work rights for partners of New Zealanders.
3) Employer accreditation requirements in 2023
During 2023 a new requirement will come into effect, with all employers needed to be accredited to employ any migrant, including those with open work rights (such as working holidaymakers or students). Accreditation is straightforward but prevents employers that do not meet minimum employment and immigration standards, such as those convicted of migrant exploitation offences, from hiring migrants. More details on this requirement will be provided closer to the time.
4) Median wage exemptions($25 and $25.39 instead of $27.66 median wage) for Tourism and Hospitality and Interim Arrangements for Care and Construction and Infrastructure Workforce for upcoming AEWV
Link for detailed information - See Pg 8 & 9- https://www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/media/rebalancing-new-zealands-immigration-system.pdf
5) International Education & Post study work rights/funds requirements-
· Students will continue to be eligible for post-study work rights if they are studying a bachelor’s degree, bachelor honours degree, postgraduate diploma, master’s or doctoral degree that they have studied full time in New Zealand for a minimum of 30 weeks. For, students undertaking a qualification at Level 7 and below (excluding bachelor’s degrees), they will only be eligible for post- study work rights if the qualification is relevant to an occupation on the Green List. This includes Graduate Diplomas and Diplomas at level 7.
· Post study work rights for non-degree students who have studied for Green List relevant qualifications will only allow the migrant to work in that occupation, though they can switch employers and work for less than the median wage.
· There are 20 roles on the Green List that have direct pathways from Level 7 and below level qualifications. These include: Construction Project Manager; Project Builder; 12 specific engineering roles; Civil Engineering Technician; Electrical Engineering Technician; Secondary School teacher; Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher; Automotive Electrician; Diesel Motor Mechanic.
· This change aims to align post-study work rights for non-degree study with skills New Zealand needs. It also addresses some unsustainable post-study working trends seen pre-COVID.
· For most international students eligible for a Post-Study Work Visa, the duration of that work visa will now mirror the time they study in New Zealand, up to a maximum of three years. This change will not apply to Master’s and PhD students, who will continue to receive three years’ post-study work rights, as long as they have spent 30 weeks in New Zealand undertaking full-time study. This change is about proportionality but also recognises the value to students and employers of experiencing New Zealand education in context.
· International students will no longer be able to apply for a second post-study work visa. This is to reduce the length of time that someone can be working in New Zealand without applying for an Accredited Employer Work Visa, where the employer must first check if a New Zealander is available to do the job.
Funds requirements-
From 31 July 2022, fund requirements will increase From $15,000 to $20,000 per annum for prospective tertiary student visa applicants and to $17,000 for prospective international school students. These amounts will be prorated for shorter lengths of study.
Link for detailed information- https://www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/media/immigration-rebalance-international-education.pdf
Funds required for post study work visa will also increase to $5000 from current $4200 from 11th May 2022
6) Simplified Residence Pathways- The Green List
Residence pathways-
1. The Fast Tracked ‘Straight to Residence’ pathway. Eligible migrants employed in these occupations can come to New Zealand on a work visa from 4 July and apply for residence from September 2022. From September residence can also be applied for directly from offshore. Minimum salary requirements apply where specified, and these will be indexed to the median wage and change over time.
2. The Work to Residence pathway: Eligible migrants in these occupations can apply for residence after two years.
3. Migrants paid at least twice the median wage in other roles can also apply for residence after two years.
Link for the Green list occupations- https://www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/media/the-green-list-simplified-applications-and-residence-pathways.pdf
7) Visitor Visa Applications-
From 16 May 2022 you can apply for a visitor visa to travel to New Zealand, but only if you are applying from one these Pacific Island Forum countries:
· the Cook Islands
· Federated States of Micronesia
· Fiji
· French Polynesia
· Kiribati
· New Caledonia
· Nauru
· Niue
· Palau
· Papua New Guinea
· Republic of the Marshall Islands
· Samoa
· Solomon Islands
· Tonga
· Tuvalu
From 31 July onwards, visitor visas and student visas for all other countries will reopen.
These changes don’t affect current or other visa holders
These changes are focussed on the future and migrant workers coming to New Zealand to work in permanent jobs. Aside from accreditation requirements in 2023, they don’t affect people with open work rights, like working holidaymakers. They don’t change the visa conditions of current work and student visa holders, or partners who apply for a partner visa before the changes take effect in December 2022. For employers, this means the median wage threshold does not apply when hiring working holiday makers or students, or require any changes to current employment agreements with any migrant employees. Aside from employer accreditation requirements in 2023, there are no changes for partners of New Zealanders, or to specific purpose, short-term business or visitor visas, Working Holiday Schemes, the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, or other family and humanitarian categories
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