Auckland Immigration consultants Limited

23/01/2024

AEWV (Accredited Employer Work Visa) Update:

02/05/2023

ACCREDITED EMPLOYER WORK VISA:
You may be eligible for a temporary visa if you have a job offer from an accredited employer, the skills and qualifications for the job. You may also qualify for the Green List Straight to Residence Visa, or after 2 years the work to Work to Residence Visa. Click on the below link to check the green lists roles. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/preparing-a-visa-application/working-in-nz/qualifications-for-work/green-list-occupations

Work in New Zealand for an accredited employer who has offered you at least 30 hours work a week. Study for up to 3 months in any 12 month period, or do any study required as part of your employment. Qualify for fast-track to residence or work to residence in 2 years depending on your pay and employment role. The length of stay for Accredited Employer Work Visa is 3 years which gives great opportunity for migrants.

A visa will be issued for you to work in New Zealand for up to 3 years if your wage is at least the New Zealand median wage of NZ$29.66 per hour and up to 2 years if your wage is below the median wage.

The visa allows you to support your dependent child's visitor or student visa. You must earn at least NZD $43,322.76 each year.

The accredited employer work visa ties you to the employer who offered you the visa application for the length of your visa. During your stay in New Zealand if your circumstances or situation changes you will need to vary the conditions of your visa or apply for a new visa to continue working in New Zealand.

Source: Immigration New Zealand:

21/09/2022

Samoan Quota, Pacific Access Category reopening / Update

The Samoan Quota (SQ) and Pacific Access Category (PAC) resident visas will reopen in October. People with these visas will be able to live, work and study in New Zealand.

The PAC and SQ resident visa schemes were suspended when New Zealand’s international border closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Samoan Quota

Registration for the ballot for SQ visas will reopen on 3 October 2022. The registration period closes at 1700 (NZ Standard Time) on 2 November 2022.

The maximum number of registrations available each year:

1,650 Samoan citizens each year from 2022 to 2025
1,100 Samoan citizens each year from 2026 onwards.
Samoan Quota Resident Visa flyer | Immigration New Zealand

Pacific Access Category

Registration for the ballot for PAC visas will reopen on 5 October 2022. The registration period closes at 1700 (NZ Standard Time) on 4 November 2022.

The maximum number of registrations available for 2022 and 2023:

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.

29/09/2021

Great News for Migrants in New Zealand: Big Announcement from Immigration New Zealand:
The 2021 Resident Visa will be available to most work-related visa holders, including Essential Skills, Work to Residence, and Post Study Work visas and their immediate family members.
To be eligible, the principal applicant must have been in New Zealand on 29 September 2021 and must hold or have applied for (and subsequently be granted) one of the eligible work visas. They must also meet one of the following criteria:
· lived in New Zealand for three or more years, or
· earn above the median wage ($27 per hour or more), or
· work in a role on the Long Term Skill Shortage List, or
· hold occupational registration and work in the health or education sector, or
· work in personal care or other critical health worker roles, or
· work in a specified role in the primary industries.
The visa will also be available for those who enter New Zealand as critical workers, and their families, for roles six months or longer until 31 July 2022.
Visa holders can also include their partners and dependents in their application.
The application process for the 2021 Resident Visa is simplified to deal with applications as quickly as possible. Applicants will still need to meet health requirements and pass police and security checks, as is required under the current residence application process.
The one-off arrangement for the new 2021 Resident Visa would see the majority of applications granted within a year of the category opening.
“The Government is committed to rebalancing the immigration system for those who can come to work, study and live in New Zealand once our borders re-open. The 2021 Resident Visa is part of this,” Kris Faafoi said.
“This initiative addresses that immediate issue while work on the immigration rebalance looks longer term at preparing for the eventual reopening of New Zealand’s borders.
“But our message to industries and employers remains clear; they need to look for ways to build resilient workforces and to attract, train and retain local workers and reduce their reliance on low-skilled migrant labour,” Kris Faafoi said.
Applications for the 2021 Resident Visa will open in two phases; on 1 December 2021 and 1 March 2022.
Immigration New Zealand will contact visa holders who are eligible to apply from 1 December by the end of October with more information about the application process.
Notes:
The 2021 Resident Visa covers most work-related visas, including Essential Skills, Work to Residence, and Post Study Work visas. People will need to hold, or have already applied for, and are subsequently granted, one of the eligible work visas.
Workers entering New Zealand through the critical worker border exceptions before 31 July 2022 for roles longer than six months will also be eligible for this one-off residence pathway.
Visa holders must be in New Zealand to apply for the 2021 Resident Visa.
The pathway does not include visas which are intended for a shorter stay, such as visitors, students, working holiday makers, and Recognised Seasonal Employer workers.
There is a large number of temporary migrants on relevant visas working across a range of sectors who may be eligible for the 2021 Resident Visa, including around 10,000 in the healthcare and social assistance sector, 9,000 in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 15,000 in construction, 9,000 in professional, scientific and technical services, 17,000 in the accommodation and food sectors, 12,000 in manufacturing, 10,000 in administration and support services, and 10,000 in retail. While not all of these visa holders will be eligible for this one-off pathway to residence, a large number may qualify by meeting the three year or median wage criteria.
Applications for the 2021 Resident Visa will be accepted from 1 December 2021 to 31 July 2022 in two phases:
From 1 December 2021, people who have submitted a Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) or Residence from Work (RfW) application can apply, as well as those with dependent children 17 years or older who currently have an SMC Expression of Interest (EOI) submitted.
From 1 March 2022, all other eligible applicants, including any others in the SMC Expression of Interest pool, can apply.
To prioritise processing of the 2021 Resident Visa, selections from the Skilled Migrant Category Expressions of Interest pool will remain closed until the 2021 Resident Visa closes on 31 July 2022, but applicants who meet the criteria in the EOI pool will be able to apply for this visa from 1 December 2021 or from 1 March 2022, depending on which category they fall into.
An eligibility checker is available on INZ’s website.

29/09/2021

Great News for Migrants in New Zealand. Thanks to NZ government and Immigration New Zealand.
Government offers one-off visa to fast-track skilled migrant residency:

Some work visa holders currently in New Zealand as well as some critical purpose visitor visa holders may be eligible to apply for residence under the new residence category – the 2021 Resident Visa.

14/08/2021

Reconnecting New Zealanders to the world:

The New Zealand government launched a plan to safely re-open New Zealand’s borders from the first quarter of 2022, while sticking with the elimination strategy that has led the country’s COVID-19 response to date.

Source: New Zealand Government

17/07/2021

Immigration New Zealand Update:

From 19 July, Essential Skills Visa holders will be able to apply for a longer visa to remain in their current role.

The Government has decided to extend the maximum duration of an Essential Skills Visa for a job paid below the median wage from 12 to 24 months.

The duration of Essential Skills visas for roles paid the median wage or above will still be up to three years.

Source: Immigration New Zealand

03/07/2021

From 19 July, Essential Skills visa applications will be assessed using the median hourly wage of NZD$27.00, in line with the 2020 Statistics New Zealand median wage. This has been previously signaled and is an increase from the current rate of $25.50.
The stand-down period for Essential Skills visa holders who are paid below the median wage, which would require them to leave New Zealand for 12 months after three years (four years for healthcare workers) before they can apply for another lower-paid Essential Skills visa, will be further postponed until July 2022.
It will continue to be a requirement that Essential Skills visa holders are given and paid for at least 30 hours of work per week. Employers will still need to prove they have been genuinely unsuccessful at attracting a New Zealander into the role before offering it to a temporary migrant.
Source: Immigration New Zealand

13/06/2021

IMMIGRATION NEW ZEALAND UPDATE:

Extension for Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment visas

The Minister of Immigration has extended onshore Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) visas that expire between 21 June and 31 December 2021 for six months. The border and labour market situation will be monitored and these visas may be extended again if necessary.

Working Holiday visa holders will continue to be able to work in any employment, except permanent employment. Supplementary Seasonal Employment visa holders will be given open work rights to work in any sector when their visas are extended.

Immigration New Zealand will contact visa holders by 25 June 2021 confirming their extension.

You can find out more information on visa extensions on the Immigration New Zealand website.

Check Working Holiday and SSE visa extensions | INZ

Changes to Essential Skills visa:

While current Essential Skills visas will not be extended, the Minister of Immigration has increased the duration of new Essential Skills visas for those who are paid below the median wage from 6 months to 12 months. This change applies to all visas granted on and after 10 June 2021, even in cases where the application was made while the instructions still specified a six month duration.

From 19 July, Essential Skills visa applications will be assessed using the median hourly wage of NZD$27.00, in line with the 2020 Statistics New Zealand median wage. This has been previously signalled and is an increase from the current rate of $25.50.

The stand-down period for Essential Skills visa holders who are paid below the median wage, which would require them to leave New Zealand for 12 months after three years (four years for healthcare workers) before they can apply for another lower-paid Essential Skills visa, will be further postponed until July 2022.

It will continue to be a requirement that Essential Skills visa holders are given and paid for at least 30 hours of work per week. Employers will still need to prove they have been genuinely unsuccessful at attracting a New Zealander into the role before offering it to a temporary migrant.

Border exception for dairy farm workers:

The Minister of Immigration is also introducing a border exception for up to 150 dairy herd managers, 50 dairy farm workers and 50 veterinarians. INZ is finalizing details with industry bodies and the Ministry of Primary Industries about this border exception and more information will be provided as these are confirmed.

Source: Immigration New Zealand

20/02/2021

Immigration New Zealand Update:

Extensions issued February 2021
Visitor visas

Visitor visas have been extended by two months from date of expiry for those:

In New Zealand on 19 February 2021, and
Who hold a temporary visitor visa that expires between 19 February 2021 and 31 March 2021 inclusive.
The extension is automatic. There is no fee.

The extension does not apply to COVID-19 short term visitor visas.

Although the new expiry dates are not yet visible on visas, the extension is valid. Visa holders who are eligible for the extension are not considered unlawful. New expiry dates will be available on the Visa Verification Service after 5 March. If you hold a visitor visa and wish to remain in New Zealand for longer, you will need to apply for another visa before your visa expires.

Do not call the Immigration Contact Centre as they will be unable to confirm your visa status.

The rule where visitor visa holders can only be in New Zealand for nine months out of an eighteen month period has been waived temporarily. This applies to people in New Zealand who apply for visitor visas before the end of June. If all other requirements for a visitor visa are met, applicants will be eligible for a visitor visa of up to six months.

Source: Immigration New Zealand

11/02/2021

Dairy sector Update Immigration New Zealand

Statistics New Zealand has engaged with the dairy sector and developed new task descriptions for three dairy roles that sit under the occupation of Dairy Cattle Farmer (121313) in the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). The three new sub category roles are:

Dairy Farm Manager (Skill Level 1)
Assistant Dairy Farm Manager (Skill Level 3)
Dairy Herd Manager (Skill Level 3)
The new sub category roles and detailed task descriptions do not appear under ANZSCO version 1.2 on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website but have been made publically available on the Statistics New Zealand website through their Ariā classification management system and can be accessed by entering the 121313 code in the search function which is on the right hand side of the front page and then going to definitions.

Immigration Instructions have been updated (Amendment Circular 2021-02) so that Immigration Officers must make an assessment based on the immigration-specific view of ANZSCO provided by Statistics New Zealand at the above link for all Dairy Cattle Farmer roles under occupation code 121313, with effect from 15 February 2021.

The updated task descriptions will be used when undertaking a substantial match assessment and assessing whether an applicant is suitably qualified for these roles under both Essential Skills work visa and the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) resident instructions.

Given that the above dairy roles are all skill level 1-3, applicants for the SMC may be eligible for points for skilled employment, subject to meeting remuneration and other requirements.

These changes apply to applications made from 15 February 2021 onwards.

With the exception of the three dairy occupations noted above, INZ will continue to refer to ANZSCO version 1.2 when assessing residence and temporary entry applications. The pay rate will continue to be used when determining the duration of Essential Skill work visas.

Occupations included in Appendix 7 of the Operational Manual will continue to be treated as exceptions and may be eligible for points for skilled employment under the SMC.

We will give immigration advisers and other stakeholders advance notice before the transition to ANZSCO 1.3 later in 2021.

RSE Visa application fee reinstated

Many Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers were unable to return home at the end of last season due to border restrictions.

Workers still here who wish to move to an employer not covered by their RSE Limited Visa must apply for a new visa. The Minister of Immigration has waived fees for their visa applications received on 15 May 2021 or earlier. After that date the usual fee may apply.

This measure removes barriers for RSE workers changing employers, allowing industry to use the workforce available in New Zealand.

Source: Immigration New Zealand
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