Category: Updates

Effective 20 April 2022, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has made the following changes to Immigration Instructions H5, which are related to Restricted Temporary Entry Restrictions for other critical workers:

• The cost threshold for major Government-approved major infrastructure projects has been reduced
• The Marsden Point decommissioning project has been added to the Government-approved major infrastructure projects list
• The requirement to have an essential role in the delivery or execution of an approved major infrastructure project has been replaced with a requirement to pay the applicant at least the New Zealand median wage

Changes have also been made to the 2021 Interim Visa instructions. This has been done to provide clarity to students for interim visa conditions.

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 has made some changes to the immigration instructions effective 11.59 pm on 12 April 2022.

• The existing approved class of work border exceptions has been expanded for meat processors & dairy farmworkers. A new class exception has been created for forestry & ski workers.

Class of Worker	Number of workers Allowed
Meat processors	Up to 650
Assistant Dairy Farm Manager/ 2IC managerial roles & Dairy Herd Manager	Up to 800
Silviculture forestry worker	Up to 300
Wood processors & manufacturers	Up to 280
Seasonal ski workers	Up to 275

• A new individual class border exception has been created for foreign officials & their immediate adult family members from visa-required countries of diplomats
• FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifier 2023 has been added to the Government-approved event list
• Invitation to Apply (ITA) has been reduced for the 5000students and 250 Manaaki Scholarship student class exceptions. The application must be made within one month of the ITA date.
• Grant of two-year visas has been approved for applicants under the Ukraine Special Visas scheme where the holder’s passport has or is about to expire

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 immigration rules have been updated for:

• Changes have been made to the immigration instructions R2.40.2 regarding mandatory requirements for lodging an application for resident visa at an immigration control area or port
• There are no more COVID-19 Support Residence instructions at sections 5.10 and 5.15, as Australia’s citizens and permanent residents no longer need a critical purpose visa to enter New Zealand
• Two new border class exceptions have been put in place, allowing visas to be issued to 5,000 new and returning international students, as well as 250 Pacific Manaaki New Zealand scholars

The above-mentioned changes will take effect from 11.59pm on 12^th April 2022.

• The requirement for Recognised Seasonal Employers to have an approved Agreement to Recruit in order to employ people under the Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) scheme has been removed from the SSE work visa instructions.

These changes regarding SSE came into effect on 4^th April 2022.

In addition, it is important to note that changes have been made to immigration instructions Y4.15 which pertains to people who must be refused entry permission unless granted as an exception to instructions:

• Changes have been made to the border entry instructions to:

1. Clarify that people who get resident visas under Section 61A of the Immigration Act 2009, should be able to enter the country based on the rules that were in place when they got the visa
2. New Zealand’s Ministry of Health (MOH) should be added to the list of government agencies that all visitors must meet before they can enter the country

Those who applied for residency outside of New Zealand after the border was closed will be able to get their visas again thanks to these changes.

To gain a better understanding of the above changes to the immigration instructions and to learn more about them kindly get in touch with us.

Please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.  Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that more than 3,500 people from outside New Zealand who applied for residency after the border closed in March 2020 have had their travel restrictions lifted.

INZ has commenced processing of these applications, and an Immigration Officer will contact the applicants once they’ve been assigned for review. People issued residence visas will be permitted to travel to New Zealand.

When travelling to New Zealand it is important to note that the Vaccination, Testing and Isolation requirements apply.  Please click here to read more about this.

To gain a better understanding of the above changes to the immigration instructions and to learn more about them kindly get in touch with us.

Please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.  Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) will replace 6 different work visas to bring in standardization. Migrants can start applying for the AEWV from 4 July 2022.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has now announced the immigration instructions that will apply to the new AEWV. Employers can start applying for accreditation wef 23 May 2021.

The objective of the AEWV is to ensure that NZ employers recruit migrant workers for genuine shortages without displacing New Zealanders.

Who is an accredited employer?

An accredited employer is a New Zealand employer who has got an employer accreditation application or an interim accreditation approved by INZ.

Employer Accreditation – the basics

New Zealand employers need to be accredited under the new system in order to hire migrant workers.

An accredited employer must have a job check approved by INZ for any vacancy the employer needs to be filled with migrant workers.

There are 2 types of employer accreditation:

1. Standard Accreditation – for employers wanting to hire up to five migrants at one time.
2. High Volume Accreditation – for employers wanting to hire six or more migrants at one time.

An employer can upgrade from standard to high volume accreditation.

Employers who place migrants in triangular employment arrangements (eg. with labour-hire employers) and employers who are franchisees must meet additional requirements.

It is important to note that a job check or an AEWV will not be approved if the employment is self-employment or related to the horticulture/viticulture industry.

Requirements for getting accreditation

For employer accreditation applications to be approved, employers must meet certain requirements like the business/organization must be viable & genuinely operating, complete the settlement support activities i.e. provide some mandatory information related to the local community, services & employee work-related matters to the applicant), comply with employment, immigration & business standards.

An immigration officer may decline an application if an employer is similar to another organization that does not meet the accreditation requirements.

Several factors will be taken into consideration while determining this.

Subsequent Employer Accreditation Applications

For subsequent employer accreditation applications, INZ will take the employer’s compliance record into consideration.

Validity/Currency of Employer Accreditation

Employer accreditation will be granted for 12 months or 24 months depending on certain criteria. INZ will grant Interim Employer Accreditation in certain situations.

Right of Appeal/ Reconsideration

If an employer accreditation application is declined, there is no right of appeal. However, INZ may reconsider the decision if the reconsideration request is made within 14 calendar days of the date of the decision. New information or change in circumstances after the decision was made will not be taken into consideration. Also, a fee will have to be paid when a reconsideration request is made.

Suspending & Revoking Employer Accreditation

INZ will suspend or revoke an employer’s accreditation if there is potential non-compliance. The suspension will be for up to 3 months or until an outcome is reached on an ongoing investigation.

Also, when an accredited employer merges with a non-accredited one, the accreditation will be deemed revoked.

Employer Accreditation Stand Down Periods

Fines and stand-down periods will be applicable when accreditation applications have been declined or revoked.

23 May 2022 onwards NZ employers can start applying for accreditation. Employers must ensure that they get accredited on time in order to hire migrant workers.

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.

Summary of Changes

The Essential Skills Work Visa and Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa will be replaced by the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) from 4 July 2022. To hire migrant workers on an AEWV, employers will have to be accredited and submit a job check for the relevant roles before hiring a migrant.

After months of extremely restricted border movements, the plan of reconnecting New Zealand with the world was announced by the New Zealand Government on 3 February 2022.  The new AEWV is part of step 4. It will be open to applications from migrants within New Zealand & from other countries from July 2022.

Also, the Prime Minister has announced that a new minimum wage threshold set at the median wage will be introduced for the AEWV as part of the planned Immigration Rebalance changes.

Awaiting decisions

Whether there will be any exceptions to the median wage rule and whether additional restrictions will apply to some roles still hasn’t been decided by the Government.

INZ Streamlines Steps Involved

Changes have been made to streamline the accreditation and job check steps:

• High volume accreditation will no longer include requirements like jobs must pay at least 10% above minimum wage or be covered by a collective agreement. This is because the new median wage threshold will apply to everyone.
• High-volume accreditation will have the same requirements as standard accreditation. However, employers who want to hire more than 5 more on AEWVs at one time must still apply for high-volume accreditation and pay a higher fee.
• Employers can upgrade from standard to high-volume accreditation at any point of time during the accreditation period but will have to pay a fee. This fee is for the additional risk assurance activities that INZ may have to undertake as the impact of non-compliant cases increases with an increase in the number of migrants employed by a business. There may be further requirements for high-volume employers in the future.
• Additional accreditation requirements remain for employers who are franchisees or who place AEWV holders with controlling third parties. However, there is no limit on the number of AEWV holders they can employ at one time.
• The labour market test is no longer regionalized at the job check stage. Vacancies must be advertised by all employers unless the role pays at least twice the median wage.
• There will be more flexibility in how INZ calculates whether a migrant meets the median wage threshold.

More information regarding the new accreditation and the AEWV can be found here

AEWV Implementation Dates

• 23 May 2022 – Employers can apply for accreditation
• 20 June 2022 – Accredited employers can submit a job check
• 4 July 2022 – Migrants can apply for an AEWV where the employer is accredited & the job check has been completed

Migrant workers can still apply for the Essential Skills Work Visa until 3 July 2022. Employers do not need to apply for accreditation from 23 May 2022 unless they intend on hiring migrant workers on the AEWV soon after 4 July 2022.

Accreditation will be a simple & low-touch assessment for most employers.

Median Wage

From 4 July 2022, the median wage will increase from NZ$ 27.00 to NZ$ 27.76 per hour, in line with when the AEWV opens for migrants.

Employers who submit a job check before 4 July 2022 must use the new median wage figure since the visa applications will be lodged on or after this date.

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 changes to Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) and Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) work visa instructions. These changes are effective 13 March 2022.

Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE)

The following changes have been made for those who apply for an SSE work visa on or before 31 December 2022:

• Previous work visa holders will be allowed to apply for a SSE and
• Evidence of onward travel, medical and police certificates will not be required and
• Will require an offer of employment from an eligible employer and
• Expansion on who is considered an eligible employer for an SSE applicant

The above instructions replace the ones agreed to in 2020 for applications submitted on or before 31 June 2021. Changes to health and character instructions are still being made.

Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE)

The cap limit for RSE applications that can be granted has been increased from 14,000 to 16,000 for the remaining 2021-22 season.

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.

Reconnecting New Zealand is the Government’s plan to open the country’s borders in a phased manner. Effective 14 March 2022, the government has made some important changes.

Critical Workers

As part of step 2, critical workers earning 1.5 times the median wage (NZ$ 84,240 per year or NZ$ 40.50 an hour) for roles longer than 6 months may be eligible for a border exception. They do not need to show that their skills are not easily available in New Zealand. This means Labour Market need not be tested by prospective NZ employer. Partners and dependent children of these workers can apply for a visa.

Other Critical Workers

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has made some changes to the 2021 Resident Visa instructions. The purpose of this is to update the requirements of Other Critical Workers.

To be eligible for the 2021 Resident Visa, Other Critical Workers’ role must be for more than 06 months and:

• Be paid at least NZ$ 1,08,060 per year OR
• The role must be essential for the completion or continuation of a science programme OR
• The role is crucial for the delivery or execution of an approved major infrastructure project OR
• if they applied before 14 March 2022, have a role essential in a government-approved event or major government-approved programme or in support of an approved government-to-government agreement OR
• Be a part of one of the following class of workers –
  • Mixed & large animal veterinarian
  • General practice veterinarians
  • Assistant Dairy Farm Manager or 2IC managerial roles, Dairy Herd Manager, Dairy Farm Assistants(NOTE: Only dairy farm assistants approved their visa as part of the first 200 cohort are eligible for the 2021 Resident Visa)
  • Early Learning Teachers and Primary/ Secondary school teachers
  • Port Crane Operators
  • Specialist tech sector worker
  • External Auditor

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.

Effective 14 March 2022, Immigration New Zealand has made some changes to the immigration instructions. A bright line test of 1.5 times the median wage has been introduced for other critical workers. Also, amendments have been made to the highly skilled worker family reunification border exception.

The purpose of these amendments is to:

• Expand the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) border exception to include Fiji, Tuvalu & the Solomon Islands
• Approved class of worker border exceptions to include seafarers, dairy farm assistants, and advanced manufacturing specialists
• Add Tourism New Zealand Strategic Media Programme to the government-approved programmes list
• Add the following events to the government-approved events list:
  • IWG Women in Sport Conference (November 2022)
  • Ireland Rugby tour (June 2022)
  • Super Rugby Pacific (April 2022)
  • New Zealand Warriors fixtures
  • New Zealand Breakers fixtures
  • Wellington Phoenix fixtures

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.

Working Holiday Visa (WHV) applications for all schemes will reopen between 14 March 2022 and 13 Sep 2022. This will help New Zealand reconnect with the world as it will enable employers to have access to more workers and give a small boost to the tourism sector.

The WHV is available for people between 18 to 30 years but 18 to 35 years for a few selected countries. The validity of the visa varies from 12 months to 23 months, depending on the country you are from.

Unfortunately, you cannot accept a permanent job offer while in New Zealand on a WHV.

From 14 March 2022, the working holiday scheme will be reopening for the following countries:

• Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA, Japan

From 13 March 2022, around 19,500 new visas have been granted to WHV visa holders who could not enter NZ due to border restrictions. The selection criteria identified those granted a

• Working Holiday Visa on or after 20 March 2019 and
• Were offshore and unable to enter New Zealand and
• Had subsequently not been granted a new visa under a different category

The first entry date has been extended for those with valid Working Holiday Visas and who are offshore and were unable to enter New Zealand.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will inform people via email by 14 March 2022.

People with newly granted or extended Working Holiday Visas can enter New Zealand until 13 September 2022. The visa will be valid for 12 months from the first entry.

Visa applications for all schemes will open in stages, with different cap limits for the remaining schemes. All schemes will reopen by 13 September 2022.

For more information about the working holiday scheme opening dates & cap limits, 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.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has introduced NZ Ready.  You can use NZ Ready, a free online tool, to help you plan your move to New Zealand. It will make sure you know how things work in New Zealand and have a stress-free move.

If you have an account in the NZ Ready, INZ will send you an email with instructions on how to do things.

NZ Ready will ask a few questions about your situation, like if you have kids, and then automatically come up with a set of tasks that are relevant to you. It will also give you detailed information and links to trusted websites. It talks about things like health care, education, getting a job, and where to live in New Zealand.

INZ informed very recently that their webtool nzready.immigration.govt.nz is changing. They are making changes to the site, so users of the tool won’t have to use an email address to log in.

INZ will also ask for your permission to move the data in your NZ Ready account over to the new account. What you choose to do and what you do with your tools, as well as your reminders, are all part of this. IN this case, if you don’t want them to move your data, they will delete it for good.

INZ has confirmed that a real email was sent out on Thursday, 10^th March 2022, to people who used the NZ Ready site. The email asked permission from people who already use the NZ Ready website so that their settings could be moved into an upgraded version of the site that will be live in May. A record of their progress will be kept for people who have given their permission.

Source:  Please click here.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that immigration rules have been updated to include additional border exceptions and allow an approved class of persons for:

• Winery workers

  • Entry Criteria – Up to 75 winery workers earning at least the median wage will be able to travel to New Zealand. Workers must be nominated by the Ministry for Primary Industries and be working in the preidentified roles.

• Meat Processing Workers

  • Entry Criteria – Up to 150 meat processing workers will be able to travel to New Zealand. Workers must be nominated by the Ministry for Primary Industries and must earn at least the NZ median wage over a specified pay period (no longer than 1 month).

• Seafood Processing Workers

  • Entry criteria – Up to 150 seafood processing workers will be able to travel to New Zealand. Workers must be nominated by the Ministry for Primary Industries and must earn at least the NZ median wage over a specified pay period (no longer than 1 month).

Additionally, changes have been made to immigration instructions to:

• Expand the low-risk Pacific pathway to include Nauru, Tuvalu, and American Samoa
• Create a border exemption for 50 selected Global Impact Visa candidates and their families; and
• Extend the Global Impact Visa pilot program through 31 December2022

The above changes are effective on and after 21 February 2022.

To gain a better understanding of the above changes to the immigration instructions and to learn more about them kindly get in touch with us.

Please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.  Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

The applications for the next phase of the 2021 Resident Visa will be accepted beginning at 10 a.m. on March 1, 2022.Those who qualify will be able to apply online at any moment between then and July 31, 2022.

Applications received after 01 March 2021, through the improved Immigration Online method, will be held in Immigration New Zealand (INZ) system. INZ won’t begin processing the submitted applications until the end of March. This essentially means that from 01 April 2022, submitted New Resident Visa applications will be processed in the order of the primary applicant’s existing visa expiry date at the time of their 2021 Resident Visa application.

INZ has also said that applicants will not require a medical certificate when applying under the improved Immigration Online system. If a medical certificate or more information is necessary, INZ will request for it at a later date.

Applicants have also been conveyed that they must submit information from a valid passport. There is no requirement to submit the document itself. Anyone in need of a new passport has plenty of time because applications for the 2021 Resident Visa will be accepted until July 31, 2022.

Check Your Eligibility

Potential Applicants are advised to check their eligibility here.

Applying Online

As part of Phase 2, the improved Immigration Online system has been built to handle more applications. However, there is still a maximum number of people that can use the system at one time. When the Immigration Online system reaches capacity, those who are already registered will be allowed to submit their applications. Those who attempt to log in will, however, be urged to try again later or to wait until a spot becomes available.  INZ urges you to be patient and return later, or the next day. They want to be clear that there is no benefit to applying on the first day or during the first few weeks.

In the improved Immigration Online system, there is no limit to the number of applications that can be submitted each day. This implies you are not required to apply for ‘High Volume User’ classification. All applications must be accompanied by a Resident Visa Declaration Form (INZ 1242).

Licensed Immigration Advisers are aware that, beginning March 1, 2022, two forms will be accessible on the INZ website:

1. The current form for people who have a Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), Residence from Work (RFW), or Expression of Interest (EOI) for Skilled Migrant Category in the works. When using this form, no advance payment is necessary.
2. For all other applicants, a new form has been added to the improved Immigration Online system. When you submit this form, payment is to be made immediately.

Costs

When the applicants submit their 2021 Resident Visa application in Phase 2, they must pay the cost of their application at the time of submitting their application.

The total amount is $2,160 including GST. This amount comprises a $1,330 application cost and a $830 immigration charge.

Staying up to Date

INZ website is the most up-to-date source of information on the 2021 Resident Visa criteria and processes and interim visas.  Please click here to read the information.

Your Support

INZ is devoted to provide a great experience for their customers during the 2021 Resident Visa application process, and they have been working hard to achieve that goal. INZ thanks you for your efforts and ongoing support.

To gain a better understanding of the above changes to the immigration instructions and to learn more about them kindly get in touch with us.

Please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.  Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

The Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that Afghan nationals who were granted a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa under section 61A of the Immigration Act 2009 by the Associate Minister of Immigration between November 8, 2021 and March 15, 2022 are now eligible for Permanent Residency under the Afghan Emergency Resettlement Category.

The above changes are effective on and after 17 February 2022.

To gain a better understanding of the above changes to the immigration instructions and to learn more about them kindly get in touch with us.

Please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.  Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that the immigration instructions have been modified for the 2021 Resident Visa.  The changes are effective from 21 February 2022 and are:

• Allow those who have a current Expression of Interest in the Skilled Migrant Category Pool can start applying on 21 February 2022
• Clarification on existing eligibility conditions for Critical Purpose Visa holders

2021 Resident Visa –

Some PHASE 2 Applicants Can Apply Early

INZ has announced that, according to the chart below, the 2021 Resident Visa application category will open on 21 February 2022 for Phase 2 applicants who hold a Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Expression of Interest (EOI) in the Pool that was submitted on or before 29 September 2021.

EOI Submission Date	Date the applications open
Before or on 30 April 2020	Mon, 21 Feb 2022
Between 1 May 2020 to 30 June 2020	Tue, 22 Feb 2022
Between 1 July 20202 to 31 August 2020	Wed, 23 Feb 2022
Between 1 September 2020 to 30 November 2020	Thu, 24 Feb 2022
Between 1 December 2020 to 28 Feb 2021	Fri, 25 Feb 2022
Between 1 March 2021 to 31 March 2021	Sat, 26 Feb 2022
Between 1 April 2021 to 31 May 2021	Sun, 27 Feb 2022
Between 1 June 2021 to 31 July 2021	Mon, 28 Feb 2022
Between 1 August 2021 to 29 September 2021	Tue, 1 Mar 2022

NOTE:

• Applications sent prior to the matching opening date listed in the table above will be declined.
• Applicants will be notified through email of the optimal time to submit their applications each day. Emails will be sent at different times throughout the day.

Important Points to Remember:

• It is important to note that there are changes made to the medical requirements for residence class visa applications. If an application is submitted using an online method that does not need a Medical Certificate or a Chest X-ray to be completed, an immigration officer may request one if it is necessary to ascertain that the applicant is in good health.
• To be eligible for a 2021 Resident Visa, any applicant who held a visa or variation of conditions granted on or after September 29, 2021, for the purpose of completing a Competency Assessment Programme (CAP) and obtaining occupational registration as a Nurse in New Zealand must demonstrate that they have successfully passed their CAP and secured occupational registration.
• Dependent children of work visa holders, who wish to undertake tertiary studies in New Zealand, now also include children of Critical Purpose Visitor Visa holders who were granted on the basis of holding an Essential Skills or Work to Residence

To gain a better understanding of the above changes to the immigration instructions and to learn more about them kindly get in touch with us.

Please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call on +64 09 3790219.  Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.