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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Vaccination required for everyone who is not a NZ citizen

A first step to the reopening of NZ borders The New Zealand government has announced that from the 1st of November, full vaccination will become a requirement for non-New Zealand citizens arriving in to New Zealand. The change has been implemented in order to add an extra layer of defence to New Zealand’s Covid response and assist with preventing as many covid positive people from entering New Zealand. The New Zealand government sees this as an important step in our …

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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

Visa processing update and Extension of Travel Conditions

Update on visa processing during lockdown Immigration New Zealand has confirmed that paperbased applications cannot be processed while New Zealand is in level 3 or 4 lockdown. This for privacy and security reasons. We anticipate normal processing to resume progressively as the country eases into level 2, and 1. As a result, Variation of conditions on temporary work visas are not currently processed. However, Immigration is working on porting VOCs online to facilitate the process. No timeframe has been provided …

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New Zealand lockdown restrictions update

Cases of COVID Delta are under control in the country once again update 8 September 2021 Kia Ora from New Zealand, Everywhere outside of Auckland has moved to Level 2 as of Wednesday 8 September! At alert level 2 there are less restrictions- this is exciting news as it provides a sense of normality back to our daily lives. Immigration New Zealand staff members will be able to resume processing hardcopy visa applications, such as Skilled Migrant Resident visas, when …

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Government announcement: Roadmap to reopening borders

Reconnect New Zealanders to the world The New Zealand government has announced our 4 stage road map to reconnect New Zealanders to the world and allow us to welcome back international travellers starting in early 2022. We are currently in between stages 1 and 2 where we are looking to see our government develop their full requirements including vaccination, testing and reduced time in MIQ. In 2022 we are looking to see a phased approach to opening up travel pathways …

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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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