New Zealand Tightens Visa Rules to Address “Unsustainable Net Migration”
WELLINGTON — In a bold move to address what it deems as “unsustainable net migration,” New Zealand has implemented stricter visa rules, including language and skill criteria, and shorter work permit lengths.
The changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) scheme were put into immediate effect, with the aim of enhancing the testing of the local labor market and reducing the risks of displacing New Zealanders from jobs, announced the country’s Minister of Immigration, Erica Stanford, on Sunday.
According to a statement, in 2023, 173,000 non-New Zealand citizens migrated to the country.
While acknowledging the presence of skill shortages in certain sectors like education, Stanford emphasized the importance of prioritizing New Zealanders for jobs where no skills shortages exist.
Key changes to the AEWV scheme include the introduction of a minimum English proficiency requirement, a new minimum skill prerequisite in the form of work experience or qualifications, and a reduction in the maximum continuous stay on an AEWV to three years.
Employers must now ensure that migrants meet these criteria before hiring them and must confirm that no “suitable and available New Zealander” applied for a job before offering it to a migrant.
Furthermore, job postings must be advertised for at least 21 days, and employers must explain “why any New Zealanders who applied were not hired,” as per New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Exceptions to these requirements will apply to certain roles in the transport and care sectors, as outlined on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website. — CNN
