Employers in New Zealand are facing multiple challenges as they try to book flights for Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers from Vanuatu – following the collapse of the country’s airline.
Air Vanuatu went into voluntary liquidation last week, cutting all flights and leaving 1,458 workers stranded in New Zealand on visas soon to expire (June 9, 2024), VisaGuide.World reports.
350 RSE Worker Visas Are Currently Limited to 1 Month in New Zealand
In a recent statement, New Zealand Immigration revealed that RSE had been granted limited visa extensions for up to one month for 350 Vanuatu workers in New Zealand, whose visas are expected to expire on May 22, ensuring they can stay in the country legally.
The authority also noted that it is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to ensure RSE that Vanuatu workers with expiring visas can stay in New Zealand legally, and employers with Vanuatu workers will also be supported.
We are managing this in groups based on the expiry of the workers’ visas. After we work through solutions for these initial groups, we will contact other impacted RSE workers and employers.
These limited RSE visas will start from the current visa’s expiry date and will be in line with the expiry dates of the medical insurance. Visa entry dates for Vanuatu-based workers still travelling to New Zealand have been extended by one month.
Moreover, employers are encouraged to continue to seek solutions so that workers can return home as soon as possible. As Immigration NZ reveals, since May 16, 79 workers have been able to catch a flight and return home.
Virgin Australia Plans to Launch 7 More Weekly Flights Between Australia’s East Coast Cities
On May 10, a Virgin Australia spokesman said the Australian government had asked it to increase capacity in response to the Air Vanuatu ban. It will fly five times a week between Brisbane and Port Vila throughout May and June.
Virgin Australia has also applied for and is awaiting fast-track approval for permission to fly more destinations between the two nations, with plans to launch soon seven more weekly flights between Australia’s east coast cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne – previously served by Air Vanuatu – and Port Vila.
Companies can use voluntary liquidation to restructure operations and renegotiate terms on existing financing and lease agreements.
Airlines routinely restructure in a turbulent industry where aircraft and operating costs are expensive, and profit margins are sometimes thin. Australian carrier Qantas Airways said it was supporting its codeshare customers who were booked on Air Vanuatu flights.