New Zealand has further tightened work visa rules concerning specific categories of Accredited Employer Work visa (AEWV) holders, as announced on the Immigration New Zealand website.
Under the new change, individuals holding an AEWV in jobs at Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) levels 4 and 5 without a pathway to residency, are no longer entitled to sponsor work, visitor or student visa applications for their partners and dependent children, VisaGuide.World reports.
The government has made this change to align with the broader suite of changes to the AEWV scheme earlier this year, and returns the settings to similar ones under the previous Essential Skills Work Visa.
Meanwhile, partners and dependent children can still apply independently for a New Zealand visa, such as AEWV or international student visa, as long as they fulfill the necessary requirements.
New Rules Will Not Affect These Categories of Foreigners
However, the update introduced on June 26, will not affect the following categories of the foreigners:
- Individuals already holding visas as a partner or dependent child;
- Individuals holding an AEWV ANZSCO level 4 and 5 roles with a pathway to residency, such as the Green List, sector agreements with residence pathways;
- Individuals earning at least 1.5 times the average salary threshold for the Skilled Migrant Category.
New Zealand Tightened Work Visa Rules Over ‘Unsustainable Migration’
Prior to this change, the New Zealand government implemented stricter work visa rules citing the unsustainable migration reasons.
Among other changes introduced on April 7, was the language requirement for foreigners applying for low-skilled jobs under level 4 and 5 positions. According to the authorities, such a criteria will help foreign workers understand their rights better and approach any potential issues with their employers more effectively.
In addition, low-skilled workers are now allowed to stay in New Zealand for three years compared to the previous five-year period. The new rules also set minimum skill and work experience for the majority of roles.
- New Zealand Implements Stricter Work Visa Rules Over Unsustainable Migration
On the other hand, New Zealand aims to draw and retain highly skilled foreign workers, such as secondary teachers, due to the shortages of this occupation.
According to official statistics, over one million people entered New Zealand during the first three months of 2024.
Most of them arrived in the country on visitor visas (602,404), followed by Australian (274,417), resident (158,867) and work (51,338) visas.