Category: Updates

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) announces that the maximum stay periods in New Zealand for some Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) Limited Visa holders have been removed from the immigration instructions.

The maximum time of stay in New Zealand does not apply if the applicant:

• is applying for a further RSE Limited Visa from inside NZ; and
• holds an RSE Limited Visa; and
• has remained in New Zealand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

These instructions are effective from 22nd November 2021. If you have queries or require assistance regarding the above information, 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.

In response to COVID-19, a temporary solution was introduced by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) – the jobseeker oversupply and undersupply lists. MSD launched these lists in October 2020 to streamline MSD’s advice to Immigration New Zealand (INZ) on the availability of New Zealand job seekers for jobs. The occupations on the oversupply list indicated that there were New Zealand job seekers available for that position.

There were no New Zealand job seekers available in the occupations on the undersupply list.

With effect from 22nd November 2021, the MSD has removed the job seeker undersupply list. The oversupply list was withdrawn on 1st October 2021, as previously announced.

This advice is part of the Labour Market Test (LMT) for employment paid below the median wage when applying for an Essential Skills work visa.

What does it mean to have the job seeker undersupply list removed?

Employers will need to interact with MSD to assess whether suitable or trainable New Zealand job seekers are available. The objective will be to fill vacancies for roles that pay less than the median wage and require labour market testing now that the undersupply list has been removed.

For roles that were previously on the undersupply list, employers will now need to publish the vacancy with MSD to acquire a Skills Match Report (SMR). The SMR will advise on the availability of New Zealand job seekers for the given position.

When reviewing Essential Skills work visa applications for occupations paying less than the median income, INZ must consider this advice as part of the LMT. When deciding whether the LMT has been satisfied, INZ will take the employer’s overall efforts to attract and recruit New Zealanders into account. For more information on hiring migrant workers, please click here.

Applicants whose occupations are listed on INZ’s Skills Shortage Lists, as well as those who continue in full-time employment and do not change their role, employer, or region of work, will not need an LMT.

For information on the skill-shortage list checker, please click here.

If you have queries or require assistance regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call +64 09 3790219. Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has made new amendments to the assessment of Border Exception for the following:

• Other critical worker
• Family of a high skilled worker
• Specialised marine worker

These amendments to the immigration instructions are effective from 15th November, 2021.

The following are the summary of main changes to the immigration instructions:

• AIP for other critical workers to travel to New Zealand.

The employer or the supporting agency/organisation is required to make an Expression of Interest (EOI) for an Approval in Principle (AIP) to INZ through a prescribed form available on their website and pay the relevant fees for the person and their family who intend to come to New Zealand as ‘other critical worker’. This person’s partner and dependent children can be included. in the AIP too. In addition to meeting health, character and bona fide requirements worker must have funds or sponsorship and onward travel arrangements too.

• AIP for marine crew arriving by the maritime border to travel to New Zealand

A marine crew who has a genuine reason to travel to New Zealand, their shipping agent or employer or the owner of the ship may request for AIP by way of an EOI which is emailed to INZ and pay the prescribed fees. The AIP must include evidence that the said crew meets the definition of ‘Marine Crew’

• Defining Other Critical Worker for the purpose

An ‘other critical worker’ is defined as someone who is required to come to New Zealand for up to 6 months and has technical/specialist skills and unique experience; or undertakes a time-critical role; or meets requirements of approved class worker (see list here)

A person who is determined as ‘other critical worker’ can be granted up to 12 months stay in New Zealand if they are in a work that is time-critical or the person has unique experience or technical/specialist skills and they earn twice the median salary (currently NZD $106,080 pa) among other important criteria.

A student who has an offer of place or enrolled in Doctoral Degree with a New Zealand University can be determined as ‘other critical worker’ if they have a role that is essential to complete a science programme which government funded and has support of MBIE Science, Innovation and International Branch. In addition must also have unique experience and technical/specialist skill set not readily available in New Zealand and are undertaking a time-critical role.

• Requirements for the temporary visa holder’s requirement

The said worker must be earning twice the median salary (currently NZD $106,080 pa) in addition to having unique, specialised or technical skill sets not readily available in New Zealand. Other criteria can be read here.

On 8 November Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has issued VISA PAK 488. This document outlines the interim process for Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), Residence from Work (RFW) and Work to Residence (WTR) applications that are already in process for applicants that may be eligible to apply in Phase 1 of 2021 Resident Visa.

All applications will be assessed in accordance with the general instructions given by the Deputy Secretary at A16.1 which outline the order and manner of processing of visa applications.

Interim Process

SMC and RFW applications

During the assessment stage, if an Immigration Officer identifies that an applicant may not meet the resident visa requirements under the category applied for, then the following steps will be taken:

• the Immigration Officer will inform the applicant/ their representative about the potentially prejudicial information i.e. the concerns that have been identified, and offer the following:

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• give an opportunity to the applicant to provide further information or evidence to show that they meet the requirements under SMC and RFW and/or
• give an opportunity to the applicant to inform INZ to put their SMC or RFW application on hold and test their eligibility for the 2021 Resident Visa category

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• the Immigration Officer must receive written consent from the applicant to put the SMC/ RFW application on hold. The Officer will then inform the applicant to submit a 2021 Resident Visa application. (a fee does not have to be paid upfront)
• In case the applicant requests INZ to continue processing their application under the existing resident visa category, the Immigration Officer will continue with the application assessment

WTR applications

As per current practice, when an Immigration Officer is unable to approve the ongoing WTR application but is satisfied that the applicant can be granted a visa under another category, the officer will use his discretionary powers to do so. It is the Officer’s duty to inform the applicant that they will no longer have a residence pathway from the RFW category if granted a visa under another category. If an applicant wishes to test their eligibility for the 2021 Resident Visa, a separate application will have to be lodged for this process.

Applicants must give written consent to INZ that they wish to be assessed under a different temporary visa category prior to doing so.

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.

Changes have been made to immigration instructions related to border exceptions to allow Vanuatu government officials to travel to New Zealand, where the travel is essential and officially requested by the Vanuatu government.

Border entry instructions have also been amended to allow the entry of New Zealand resident visa holders and Australian citizens and permanent residents who are travelling to New Zealand from Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu or Tokelau, and who meet the requirements to travel quarantine-free.

These instructions are effective on and after 8th  November 2021.

Another version of border entry instructions which include changes already certified relating to the 2021 Resident Visa are effective on and after 1st  December 2021.

Please click on this link for reference.

The new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) will be implemented on 4th July 2022, by the New Zealand Government.

 

Please note that the applications for accreditation will open on 9th May 2022.

Migrant workers can only be hired on the new visa, provided the employers are accredited. Businesses & regions are urged to train & upskill workers in New Zealand. Accredited employers/businesses can use the new AEWV to hire skilled migrant workers in areas where there is a legitimate need for skill or labour shortages.

You may find out and get yourself familiarized with the new AEWV and the 3-check process here.

In May 2021, the New Zealand Government had announced that first-time applications for the Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa and the Long-Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa would close on 31st October 2021. In preparation for the new AEWV, these visas are being phased out.

Until the new AEWV is implemented, employers can continue to hire onshore temporary migrant workers on an Essential Skills Work Visa without having to obtain employer certification. The introduction of the new AEWV has no effect on other temporary work visas, such as the Recognized Seasonal Employer Limited Visa and the Working Holiday Scheme Visa.

For more information from INZ regarding WTR visas closing to new applications please click here.

Information for Migrant Workers on this new change:

This new change will not affect migrants who are currently on a temporary work visa as long as they are meeting their visa conditions and their visa remains valid. If they meet the conditions under the appropriate visa category, Work to Residence (WTR) visa holders who have applied for a Residence from Work (RFW) visa may apply for a subsequent WTR visa after 31 October 2021.

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 Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and the Ministry of Health will no longer consider the cost of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) treatment to be significant.

As a result, HIV infection has been removed from the list of high-cost health conditions used to evaluate Resident Visa applications by INZ.

The proposal to update the list was backed by PHARMAC, the National HIV and AIDS Forum, UNAIDS, and the New Zealand AIDS Foundation.

INZ will continue to assess the medical conditions of HIV positive applicants, but will not automatically conclude that they do not have an acceptable standard of health, which could result in a visa application being denied.

If you have any queries or require assistance regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call +64 09 3790219. Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) announced a new border exception to immigration instructions allowing a small number of workers from Tuvalu to enter New Zealand as part of the Tuvalu Maritime Strengthening Project.

The Tuvalu Maritime Strengthening Project has been added to the Government-to-Government Agreement List as a result of the COVID-19, allowing the 14 crew members (as well as any required repair workers) to enter New Zealand under an ‘other critical worker‘ border exception.

This exception is made under COVID-19 Support Restricted Temporary Entry requirements.

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.

INZ announces that by way of Special Direction every person who:

• Is in New Zealand on 1st November 2021, and
• Holds Working Holiday Scheme or a Working Holidaymaker Extension temporary visa (Working Holiday Visa) with an expiry date between 21st December 2021 and 30th June 2022 (inclusive)

Will be extended for a period of 6 months from the date on which they would have otherwise expired.

This special directive is made to manage and control or mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19 or its effects. This special direction addresses the labour market’s continued consequences as a result of COVID-19 by permitting immigration settings to be more flexible so that existing migrant workers can continue to fill labour shortages while border restrictions remain in place.

Unless withdrawn sooner, this special direction will expire on June 30, 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.

INZ announces that that by way of Special Direction every person who:

1. Is in New Zealand on 1st November, 2021, and
2. Holds Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) temporary visa with an expiry date between 31st December 2021 and 30th June 2022 (inclusive)

Will be extended for a period of 6 months from the date on which they would have otherwise expired.

This special directive is made to manage and to control or mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19 or its effects. This special direction addresses the labour market’s continued consequences as a result of COVID-19 by permitting immigration settings to be more flexible so that existing migrant workers can continue to fill labour shortages while border restrictions remain in place.

Unless withdrawn sooner, this special direction will expire on June 30, 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 a contract with VFS Global Ltd (VFS) to operate 42 user pays Visa Application Centres (VACs) in 27 countries. VACs collect and securely send visa applications and/or passports to the visa office for processing.

VACs that are closing

Immigration New Zealand has announced that on 30 November 2021, New Zealand’s Visa Application Centres (VACs) in Kiribati & Naru will close down. Besides this, Australia’s VACs in these two places will also close by this date.

The closure is due to significant decline in the volume of visa applications globally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, uncertainty about when normal visa activities will resume and the impact of INZ’s digital development.

VACs will accept & digitize paper-based applications & also passport related information that is associated with online applications.
1 December 2021 onwards, customers of INZ’s Kiribati & Naru VACs will have to either courier a printed application to the VAC or apply using Immigration Online.

Immigration Online is a system that allows applicants to apply online for certain visa categories.
More information about Immigration Online can be found here
VACS that will remain open
VACs in the following places will remain open:
• Sydney (Australia)
• Suva (Fiji)
• Honiara (Solomon Islands)

More information about offices/ VACs outside New Zealand can be found here

Fees

Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that VAC closure will not lead to an increase in fees. However, the VAC service fee will still have to be paid by customers.

The extra cost to courier an application and/or passport to and from the nearest VAC will have to be borne by the applicants themselves. Applicants are encouraged to check the fee and timeframe with the local courier before submitting the application.

To avoid closure of VACs, INZ has considered other options like increasing the VAC service fees. However, this would lead to a substantial increase in fees to cover the costs of operating in these two locations – Kiribati & Naru. This has been deemed unreasonable as the costs would be too high and the burden of the increased service fee would have fallen on the applicant which would have resulted in the fees being higher than the overall cost (including courier charges) to just send an application to the nearest VAC.

For information about New Zealand Visa Application Centres (VACs), please click on the link here.

INZ has confirmed that it is committed to working with the Kiribati & Naru Governments to ensure that the people have continued access to New Zealand visa services.

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 new amendments to the assessment of Essential Skills Work Visa applications. The job lists of oversupply and undersupply were part of Government’s COVID-19 response and had contained advice from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) about supply of specific occupation job seekers in regions of New Zealand.

This advice is a part of the assessment of the Labour Market Test (LMT) for jobs paying below the median wage for Essential Skills Work Visa applications.

• From 1st October 2021, the jobseeker oversupply list has been removed by the MSD.
• Later this year the undersupply list will be removed.

The LMT is not required for:

• Occupations on Immigration New Zealand Skill’s Shortage List; or
• For applicants remaining in their current full-time employment, and not changing their role, employer or region of work.

The LMT is still required for:

• Roles paying less than the median wage (NZD $27 per hour); INZ needs to seek advice from MSD when assessing Essential Skills Work Visa applications
• Jobs that were on oversupply list, individual Skills Match Reports (SMR) will be required from MSD.
• Before a job is offered to a migrant worker, MSD will ensure that the New Zealand based employer has made genuine attempts to attract and recruit New Zealanders.

  For more information on hiring of migrant workers, please click on the link here.

If you have any queries or require assistance regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. at contact@nzimmigration.info or call +64 09 3790219. Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

What is Afghan Emergency Resettlement (AER) Visa?

The recent evacuees from Afghanistan will now have an opportunity to stay in New Zealand permanently under the Afghan Emergency Resettlement (AER) Visa category, recently introduced by the New Zealand Government. The holders of this category of visas will be able to benefit from housing support, funded health services, education and other Government services. It is worthwhile mentioning that Resettlement Case Officers have been assigned to the evacuees.

Who can apply for this AER visa?

Only Afghan citizens who were in Afghanistan on 15th August 2021 can apply for this visa.

What are the eligibility criteria for the AER Visa?

The evacuees who are eligible for the AER Visa are divided into 3 categories:

• Holders of Critical Purpose Visa (along with their partners and dependent children) granted under section 61A of the Immigration Act 2009 following New Zealand Government agency verification
• Holders of Critical Purpose Visa granted between 15th August 2021 and 12th September 2021 (dates are inclusive)
• Holders of Temporary Entry Visas or Resident Visas who were in New Zealand before 12th September 2021

If the family members are overseas, will they be eligible to apply?

Partners and dependent children who are overseas may be able to make an application separately under partnership and dependent category of visas.

By which date the applications for AER Visa are to be made?

The applications must be submitted before 12th December 2021 and the applicant must be in New Zealand when they submit the application.

What are the fees for the AER Visa applications?

There is no fee charged for this category of applications.

What is the expected timeline for the for the AER Visa applications process?

Generally speaking, the applications under this category can be expected to be processed in a month’s time.

For more information on the AER Visa, please click on the link here.

If you have any queries or require assistance regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd at contact@nzimmigration.info or call +64 09 3790219. Our experienced team of Licensed Immigration Advisers will be happy to guide you.

 

Due to the sudden surge of Covid19 cases in New Zealand, followed by a nationwide lockdown and changing alert levels, the pressure on essential services has increased. To ease the pressure, the New Zealand Government has decided to ease visa conditions which will allow international students to help the NZ healthcare sector.

This change will benefit healthcare providers and will ensure that they have sufficient workers every time an area of New Zealand is put under Covid 19 alert level 3 or 4. After this point, the original visa conditions will apply.

These measures will exist only till 31 December 2023 due to the uncertainty of the Delta variant.

The flexible visa conditions will apply to student visa holders and those interim visa holders who held a student visa immediately before the interim visa who wish to undertake employment as a critical health worker in an area under covid-19 alert level 3 or 4.

The flexible conditions include:

 

• Undertaking roles outside the general position description in the healthcare sector and having the ability to work increased hours. This is provided you were employed in that role before the covid alert levels changed.

OR

• Undertaking roles administering covid-19 tests or vaccinations during this period as long as you have the required certification to do so and regardless of your employment status before the alert levels changed.

Critical healthcare workers and their employers affected by this change do not need to apply for a Variation of Condition (VOC) to amend visas. Workers who meet the specific requirements will automatically benefit from the changes.

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 Restricted and Temporary Entry instructions and Temporary Entry instructions which came into effect on 13th September 2021.

Changes have been made to Covid 19 Support Restricted Temporary Entry Restrictions to clarify that:

• The character requirements supporting partners need to meet when supporting visa applications under border exception instructions
• The intent of granting relationship-based visas under border exception restrictions is to allow families to be reunited in New Zealand

Immigration instructions related to health and police certificate requirements for Essential Skills Work Visa holders have also been updated. This is to clarify that the recent changes made to streamline the requirements regarding health and police certificates previously provided with a visa application are only applicable to applicants who are already in New Zealand at the time of lodging their application.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has also made some amendments to the Administration instructions which came into effect on 10th September 2021.

The Deputy Secretary of Immigration has signed a new instrument of sub-delegation. The power under section381(1) of the Immigration Act 2009 has been sub-delegated to approve & issue application forms to the General manager, Enablement, Immigration New Zealand.

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.