New Zealand has introduced several changes aiming to tighten the rules regarding Accredited Employer Work visa (AEWV).
As the authorities noted, such moves were taken as a response to the “unsustainable” net migration. The new measures took into force on April 7, 2024, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to the country’s minister of Migration, Erica Stanford, the new changes to AEWV scheme will help New Zealand attract necessary skills while also reducing the vulnerability of migrants to exploitation.
The Government is focused on attracting and retaining 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.
New Changes to Work Visa That Foreigners Should Know
One of the new changes is the introduction of an English language requirement for migrants applying for low-skilled level 4 and 5 positions.
By having an English language requirement migrants will be better able to understand their rights or raise concerns about an employer early.
In addition, low-skilled applicants are now permitted to stay for three years in New Zealand, instead of five years as it was before.
Meanwhile, employers seeking to hire migrants for level 4 and 5 positions must first coordinate with Work and Income before obtaining approval.
As the authorities further explained, they are abolishing the franchisee accreditation category. Instead, these businesses can now apply to hire workers from overseas using the standard, high-volume, or triangular employment accreditation processes.
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.
The government announced they will not be adding 11 roles, like welders and fitters, to the Green List as previously planned.
Meanwhile, the Work to Residence pathway for bus and truck drivers will be closed for new applicants because the reported shortages that led to its creation have been addressed.
Migrant Arrivals Reached 254,393 Figure In 2023
According to authorities, migration in New Zealand has been increasing. In 2023, the country recorded 254,393 migrant arrivals, as revealed by the Stats NZ, the country’s official data agency.
On the other hand, the number of migrant departures was 115,263, bringing the net migration to 139,130.
Nationals of India were the largest group among the migrants arrivals, followed by those of Philippines (36,200), New Zealand (27,800), China (26,900) and Fiji (11,100).