Immigration

New 2021 Residence Visa: certainty for thousands of migrant workers

A new, one-off residence visa Immigration New Zealand have announced a new Residence visa which allows thousands of farm workers to apply for Residence, a vital step in securing their long term future in NZ. The new 2021 residency visa helps up to 165,000 migrants currently in New Zealand, many of whom may not have otherwise qualified for residence. Eligibility criteria Waikato dairy farmer and New Zealand Shores Immigration business development manager, Grant Coombes, said “This new Residence visa is …

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Essential Skills visa changes: recruiting for roles

Oversupply list to be removed The job seeker oversupply list has been removed by Ministry of Social Development (MSD), effective from 1st October 2021. The undersupply list will also be removed later this year. This has come as very welcomed news by employers and the immigration industry. As some background, the over and under supply lists were introduced to streamline MSD’s advice to Immigration New Zealand on the availability of job seekers. This formed part of the assessment of the …

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One-off 2021 Resident visa announced for onshore migrants

New streamlined resident visa brings hope to 165,000 migrant workers A long-awaited decision on the long residence queue has now been reached, with the New Zealand Government opening a new, simplified residence process for onshore migrant workers. This decision and new visa category is meant to fast-track residence for an estimated 165,000 migrant workers potentially eligible, including 30,000 waiting on a residence decision, and 12,000 with an Expression Of Interest in the pool. More information (Beehive) Go to Visa page

Seasonal workers from Pacific Islands allowed into New Zealand from September

A much welcome announcement for the horticulture industry Seasonal workers from Sāmoa, Tonga and Vanuatu will be able to enter New Zealand from September without needing to go through the mandatory two-week managed quarantine and isolation. This announcement, a further sign that the Government is progressively easing border restrictions, is coming in response to concerns from fruit growers who are in desperate need of picking staff for the upcoming season. More information (NZ Herald “The move is aimed at addressing …

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New Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV)

A new visa category for those experiencing exploitation at work. The Government has announced the creation of a new work visa to help those who may have to leave employment, while their employer is being investigated for potential exploitation. This new visa is called the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV). What is the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa? The main purpose of this visa is to allow exploited migrants to have peace of mind that they are in New …

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Longer Essential Skills visas, easier process for renewals

The Government has brought positive news for onshore migrants and New Zealand employers which will impact Essential Skills work visa applications from 19 July 2021. This is a temporary measure to alleviate skills shortages. This announcement is meant to ease employers’ concerns about labour shortages INZ website NZ Herald Maximum duration of Essential Skills work visas From 19 July 2021, the Government is extending the maximum duration of an Essential Skills work Visa for a job paid below the median …

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New Zealand Immigration Employer Seminar

New Zealand Shores on a foggy Tuesday morning at Zealong Tea Estate in Gordonton, held an informative conference for employers from the Waikato region, with some businesses travelling from further afar. Guest speakers of the morning were New Zealand Shores Licensed Immigration Advisers, Immigration New Zealand Relationship Managers, Federated Farmers spokesman, our HR partner Everest and the Waikato Chamber of Commerce.  We also had some guests in our audience, that of Jamie Strange, current Hamilton East MP for Labour & …

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New Accredited Employer Work visa

As you will be aware with all the recent Immigration announcements, change is coming within the temporary work visa space. This could potentially affect your business if you are a NZ employer, or your staff on temporary work visas. 6 current work visa streams will be replaced with the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), this replaces Essential skills, Approval in principle, Talent: Accredited employer, long term skill shortage, silver fern work visas. The new visa will take effect on …

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New median wage used as threshold for Select visa categories

.The remuneration thresholds used by Immigration New Zealand are being revised Thresholds increase on 19 July 2021 The Essential Skills work visa and Skilled Migrant Category resident visa are the visa categories that are being impacted. These thresholds are based on the NZ median salary and wage, and are therefore updated every year. The new thresholds were set in 2020 but their implementation by INZ has been delayed to allow employers more flexibility to retain their key migrant staff. Thresholds …

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Extension for Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment visas

Update 11 June 2021 Are you currently in New Zealand on Working Holiday visa or a Seasonal Supplementary Employment (SSE) visa? You may qualify for an automated 6 months extension. This extension is automatic and there is no fee. More information (INZ website) Which visas are being automatically extended? Working Holiday visas Onshore Working Holiday visa holders whose visa expire between 21 June and 31 December 2021 will be extended for 6 months. Working Holiday visa holders may work in …

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New Zealand Shores