Category: Updates

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that it will prioritize the processing 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) for medical professionals featuring in the Green List. This is to meet the high demand for various skilled roles in the health sector.

• Priority will be given to those Green List medical professionals who applied under the ‘Skilled’ and ‘Scarce’ streams of the 2021RV when the application reaches the ‘under assessment’ stage.
• Priority will also be given to Green List medical professionals who applied for the 2021RV under the ‘Settled’ stream.

For information regarding requesting prioritisation, please click here.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

The following measures have been implemented by the New Zealand Government to attract more high skilled migrants to New Zealand:

• More roles have been added to the Green List
• 12-month extension has been granted to employers who have applied or will apply for employer accreditation before 4 July 2023
• Those people affected by the border closure during the Covid 19 pandemic will be granted Post Study Work Visas
• Specific Purpose Work Visas for Critical Purpose Visitor Visa holders

1. Additions to the Green List

Migrants overseas or in New Zealand eligible for Straight to Residence (StR) Green List roles will be able to apply for New Zealand residence.

Migrant workers employed in Work to Residence (WtR) Green List roles can apply for residence after 2 years.

ANZSCO code to be used by employers & applicants for a job check or Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is Specialist Physicians nec (253399).

From 15 December 2022

• Medical doctor roles not already on the StR Green List will be added.
• All registered nurse & midwife roles will move from WtR to the StR Green List.

From March 2023

• Auditors will be added to the StR Green list
• Those primary & secondary school teacher roles not already on the WtR Green List will be included.
• The following roles will be added to the WtR Green List:

Halal Slaughterer, Skilled Motor Mechanic, Skilled Telecommunications Technician, Gasfitter, Drainlayer, Building Associate (specifically Civil Construction Supervisor), Skilled Crane Operator, Earthmoving Plant Operator (General), Backhoe Operator, Bulldozer Operator, Excavator Operator, Grader Operator and Loader Operator

• Bus and truck drivers will have a residence pathway through a sector agreement

The Government will review the Green List in mid-2023. For more information about Green List roles, please click here.

2. Employer Accreditation

A 12-month extension has been granted to employers who have applied or will apply for employer accreditation before 4 July 2023

As per the announcement made by the Government in May 2022, employers wanting to hire migrants, including those with open work rights such as students or working holiday makers, would need to be accredited by 2023. The requirement to be accredited has been deferred to 2024. This is to give the employers more time to prepare.

3. Post Study Work Visas

The Government has decided to grant 12-month open work visas to those applicants who held a Post Study Work Visa but were unable to enter New Zealand or had to leave the country early because of the border closure in March 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Family

Family members of these Post Study Work Visa holders can apply for relationship-based visas – open work visas for partners/ spouse and visitor visa or student visa for children. Dependent children granted a student visa will pay the domestic study fees.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will contact the eligible applicants in 2023

4. Critical workers who want to remain in their current role

From 15 December 2022, Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (CPVV) who want to remain in their current role after the expiry of their visa will be able to apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa (SPWV).

This way, the critical workers will have full 3 years work experience that they would have under the Accredited Employer Work Visa or Essential Skills Work Visa before a labour market test is done.

How to apply for a SPWV:

The SPWV application process for CPVV holders will be streamlined. The CPVV holder must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a SPWV:

• not be deep water fishing crew, deep sea fishing crew or a seafarer worker
• must have held a 12-month CPVV as a critical worker
• be paid at least the minimum wage
• meet the standard health & character requirements and
• provide a letter from their employer confirming that the migrant worker will remain in the same role with the same or better conditions.

Employers do not have to be accredited but must comply with New Zealand employment & immigration laws.

For more information about how to apply for a Specific Purpose Work Visa, please click here.

Specific Purpose Work Visa Information:

1. The SPWV will give critical workers the right to remain in their current role for up to 3 years from the start date of their CPVV
2. The fee for SPWV applicants is NZ $735

Family

Family members of these SPWV holders can apply for relationship-based visas.

Partners/spouses can apply for open work visas.

Please get in touch with us for more information about Partner of a Worker-Work Visa.

Children can apply for visitor visas or student visas. School-aged dependent children granted a student visa will pay the domestic study fees.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

The Minister of Immigration Michael Wood has announced the changes to the requirements of temporary work visa holders have been postponed to April 2023. Initially, the changes were scheduled to come into effect in December 2022.

The Government wants to ensure that partners work only in high skilled roles, provide certainty to them of their ability to work in New Zealand and streamline the process for entering high skilled roles.

Based on feedback received from stakeholders, the Government will try to make some changes to the way partner work rights will be implemented. Meanwhile. Partners of work visa holders will continue to have open work rights. Changes will apply to new visas issued after the implementation date.

Immigration Rebalance had promised to build the skills New Zealand needs compared to the old system which focused on large numbers of low wage workers in some sectors. The number of migrant workers and their partners has grown significantly over the years with partners usually concentrating on lower-paying sectors.

The Government aims to recruit for genuine skill shortages for both the principal applicant and their partner.

Further details will be announced in February 2023.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

Source: Link 1   Link 2

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has made some changes to the Work Visa Instructions to allow Variation of Conditions effective 5 December 2022 –

Accredited Employer Work Visa holders can now change their visa conditions – employers, occupation, location of employment or a combination of these.

The employer must be accredited and have a valid job check. This process will be known as Job Change. Job Check instructions have been slightly amended as well to incorporate this change. The employer must be accredited and have a valid job check.

Essential Skills Work Visa holders will also be allowed to change their occupation, employment location, employer or a combination of these. Previously, Essential Skills Work Visa holders could change occupation or location only if their new job was on the Essential Skills in Demand List.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that it will prioritize the processing of the 2021 Resident Visa applications for those separated from their partners and children who are offshore.

Criteria for prioritization

1. The partner/ children must be offshore
2. The relationship must have been established before COVID-19 restrictions were announced in 2020
3. The application is at under assessment or a later stage

Applicants can request INZ to expedite their application by explaining the same.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call +64 09 3790219.

Effective 20 October 2022, INZ has made some changes to the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) immigration instructions.

The cap limit for approved RSE visas for 2022-23 has been increased to 19,000 for the year 2022-23. Previously, it was 16,000 for the year 2021-22.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info  or call on +64 09 3790219.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) rolled out the Enhanced Immigration Online system for submitting visa applications earlier this year.

Medical Certificates problems

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has requested applicants applying for a visa on the Enhanced Immigration Online system to not upload medical certificates if not needed as this is putting pressure on the system. INZ will request a medical certificate if required.

Medical Certificate status

When medical certificates are requested by INZ, the Enhanced Immigration Online system will show the status application as ‘waiting for medical certificate’, even after the certificate has been uploaded online.

This message will continue to show until the medical information has been assessed & the completed information has been entered into the system.

INZ is working towards fixing this problem.

INZ is also doing its best to ensure a quick review of additional medical documents requested to ensure applications can move on to the next stage without delay.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has made some changes to the immigration instructions pertaining to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) effective 25 October 2022.

• The first Expression of Interest (EOI) selection will take place on 9th  November 2022. Those submitting EOIs before this date will be allowed to make a declaration to show that they meet the qualification points and English language requirements even before getting the assessment results from the providers.As evidence, applicants can show that they have booked an appointment for an acceptable English language test. They can also show that they have requested an International Qualification Assessment or a Qualification Assessment Report from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for this purpose.
• Applicants can submit an English language test that is more than two years old along with their residence application EOI to show that they have an acceptable standard of English as long as the EOI was submitted on or before 8 November 2022.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info  or call on +64 09 3790219.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has changed immigration instructions for those applying for an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) to work as a Chef.

Chefs are, henceforth, not required to hold an NZQF Level 4 or higher certificate which includes the credit and knowledge requirements of a New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 4) or a similar overseas qualification.

These changes apply to any application for a work visa made under the AEWV instructions submitted before 10 October 2022 and have not been decided before that date.

Also, where an application for an AEWV was submitted before 18 October 2022 based on an offer of employment as a chef, and the application has not been decided before that date, the applicant does not need to have a certificate at NZQF level 4 or higher that includes the credit and knowledge requirements of a New Zealand Certificate in Cookery (Level 4), or comparable overseas qualification.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call +64 09 3790219.

Eligibility requirements for registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand extended

Some roles require registration. Effective 10 October 2022, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has extended the eligibility requirements for roles requiring registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand. It will include people with a special purpose temporary scope of practice registration. This is mainly related to roles in the Health & Social Services sector.

IT roles added to the Green List

Four IT roles have been added to Tier 1 of the Green List:

• Analyst Programmer (ANZSCO code 261311)
• Developer Programmer (ANZSCO code 261312)
• Software Tester (ANZSCO code 261314)
• Software and Applications Programmers nec (ANZSCO code 261399)

Determining if an applicant is suitably qualified to do the job

Effective 10 October 2022, INZ has amended immigration instructions about determining whether an applicant is suitably qualified to do the job offered.

Immigration Instructions will now allow applicants who have been offered Green List roles to be suitably qualified if they either meet the employer-specified requirements at the Job Check stage or the current requirements on the Green List for their role. This will ensure favourable outcomes for applicants if Green List role requirements are amended in between i.e when a job check is approved and an AEWV application is submitted.

Clarification regarding Food Technologists

Effective 14 November 2022, INZ has clarified that the qualification requirements for ‘Food Technologist’ in Tier 1 of the Green List refers to a Bachelor’s Degree – Level 7.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info  or call on +64 09 3790219.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has made some changes to the China Working Holiday Scheme immigration instructions effective 9 October 2022.

• INZ has clarified that tertiary-level qualifications meet the China Working Holiday Scheme qualification requirement.
• The note under the instructions has also been amended to update the agency’s name, which verifies qualifications.

The note says that for the purposes of these instructions, the evidence required at WI2.30 (b)(iv) must be verified by the Center for Student Services and Development, Ministry of Education, P.R. China and such verification provided with the qualification.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

All Accredited Employer Work Visa Applications (AEWV) lodged since 18 September 2022 will now be processed by Immigration New Zealand (INZ)’s enhanced Immigration Online system. This will allow quicker processing of applications.

The AEWV opened to applicants on 4 July 2022. Since then, applications have been processed partially in the AMS system to allow further testing of the enhanced system. Those applications lodged before 18 September 2022 will continue to be processed this way.

INZ aims to complete processing applications within 20 working days. Applicants must submit supporting documents or requested information at the earliest to enable quick processing.

Applicants can refer to the User Guide for reference. More information about the enhancements to the Immigration Online system can be found here.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has received a huge volume of applications since the borders re-opened in July 2022 leading to delays in visa processing. INZ is taking steps to rectify this problem.

The requirement for most applicants to submit physical passports has been removed temporarily. Applicants are instead required to provide a high-quality scanned copy of their passport along with their application.

Despite the above, in some cases, an Immigration officer may request an applicant to submit the physical passport to their nearest Visa Application Centre (VAC) since it is required to process the application. This will be on a case-to-case basis.

INZ will monitor the effects of this change to ensure that this does not affect application processing and to see if this can be continued in the future.

Those applying for a group visitor visa or student visa through the Immigration Online platform will receive an automated letter requesting passport submission. However, this is currently not required and INZ is working on updating the letter to resolve this issue.

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that the Samoan Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) resident visas will reopen in October. These visa holders will be able to work, study & live in New Zealand.

Due to the Covid -19 pandemic & closure of New Zealand’s borders, SQ and PAC resident visa schemes were suspended.

Unused ballot places from 2020 and 2021 have been reallocated over future years.

Samoan Quota (SQ)

The registration for the SQ visa ballot will reopen on 3 October 2022 and close on 2 November 2022 at 1700 NZST.

The maximum number of registrations available each year are:

• 1,650 Samoan citizens each year from 2022 to 2025
• 1,100 Samoan citizens each year from 2026 onwards.

More information regarding the Samoan Quota Resident Visa can be found here.

Pacific Access Category (PAC)

The registration for the PAC visa ballot will reopen on 5 October 2022 and close on 4 November at 1700 NZST.

The maximum number of registrations available for 2022 and 2023 are:

• 500 Fijian citizens each year
• 150 Kiribati citizens each year
• 500 Tongan citizens each year
• 150 Tuvaluan citizens each year.

The maximum number of registrations available for 2024 onwards:

• 250 Fijian citizens each year
• 75 Kiribati citizens each year
• 250 Tongan citizens each year
• 75 Tuvaluan citizens each year

More information about the Pacific Access Category Resident Visa can be found here.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the SQ or PAC visa, you must:

• Be between 18 & 45 years of age (inclusive) when you apply
• Be able to speak, read & write English AND
• Have a genuine job offer from an employer in New Zealand

Dependent Children

Principal visa applicants who want to bring their dependent children to New Zealand must have a job offer paying at least NZD 49,159 a year. Also, the children must be 24 years or below and must be included in the ballot registration

The Process

Ballot Registration

• Citizens of Fiji, Samoa & Tonga – They need to register online, and the online registration form will be available when registration opens in October.
• Citizens of Kiribati & Tuvalu – They can use either the online form or paper form to register
• Friends, Family & representatives will be able to fill out the forms on behalf of people registering for the visa ballots.

Fees

There is no fee for registering for the Samoan Quota ballot.

For the Pacific Access Category, the registration fees are NZD $85 for first registration, and NZD $35 for second or subsequent registrations

Invitation to Apply

Those invited to apply for the SQ and PAC visas will have 8 months to submit their application to INZ.INZ’s Pacific offices will process these applications.

Click here for information about the Samoan Quota application process.
Click here for information about the Pacific Access Category

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.

To bring experienced & skilled high-value investors to New Zealand, the Government has created a new Active Investor Plus Visa category which opened for applicants on 19 September 2022.

The previous Investor 1 and Investor 2 visa categories, which closed in July 2022, have now been replaced by this new visa category.

More information about the Active Investor Plus Visa can be found here.

Applying for the New Active Investor Plus visa

Anyone wanting to apply for this new visa category must fill out the online form available on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website.

Weighting system for acceptable direct investments

INZ will assess whether investors are meeting their visa requirements and make decisions on applications. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) will advise which investments are acceptable. They will also provide support to these investors.

To encourage direct investments and attract active investor migrants who will boost the country’s economy, the Active Investor Plus visa category will incentivise direct investment in New Zealand firms through a weighting system.

Acceptable investments carry different weightings toward the NZD 15 million investment threshold. You can invest in a combination of these. Direct investments into a private business will receive the highest weighting (3x). You could meet the required investment amount by investing NZD 5 million into direct investment.

If INZ approves your visa application in principle, you will have 6 months to transfer and invest your funds in New Zealand.

Other Changes

• The new investment visa will enable people to invest over three years. They will have to maintain the investments until the end of the fourth year. Also, they will need to spend at least 117 days in New Zealand during those 4 years.
• There will be a cap on listed entities, thus limiting the scope for passive investments.
• Active Investor Plus visa holders will need to have a moderate level of English language skills – IELTS 5 or equivalent

Get in touch with Immigration Advisors New Zealand Ltd, which provides up-to-date immigration information so you can consider opportunities and prepare yourself for the future. To know all the required procedures, contact us at contact@nzimmigration.info or call +64 09 3790219.