November 10th, 2023 at 02:07 am
6 Major Changes to New Zealand Visa System | New Zealand Visa Update 2023
To increase company productivity and supply more highly skilled personnel to support the country’s economic growth, the New Zealand government is making changes to the nation’s visa policy. In this post, we’ll go over every major modification the New Zealand government is making to the country’s visa policy for 2023.
The challenges that New Zealand firms encounter in attracting international labor in this competitive labor market are recognized by the government. The need for support in drawing in more highly skilled applications to address labor shortages is guiding the government’s initiatives to ensure they respond with a stronger Competitive Edge to lure skilled migrants to New Zealand.
The significant modifications to the New Zealand visa process are as follows:
Work-to-Residence Visas open for applications
Under the labor-to-residence visa, applications for residence permits under the sector agreements and green list are being accepted. Work permit for caregivers or visa for transportation workers If an immigrant meets the necessary skill and pay levels or has two years of qualifying work experience in a sector agreement or green list employment in New Zealand, they may apply to become a resident.
They must also have fulfilled the remaining common prerequisites for submitting a visa application, which are as follows:
- Foremost, having excellent health
- Also, possessing moral integrity
- In addition, speaking English with ease
- Besides that, be of a specific age
New Roles added to the Green List
Following a systematic and targeted review, the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment will add 17 positions to the green list. The roles will be added to the green list in March 2024, and closer to the implementation date, further information will be released, including the specific requirements for each role and the designated residency pathway.
Applications for Work-to-Residence Pathway Open
Applications for the roles that the sector agreement currently lists The green list and the work-to-residence pathway are presently being accepted. Foreign nationals who have worked for two years in a job that qualifies for a qualifying sector agreement or is on the green list and who meet the requirements for age, health character, and English language competence can now apply for residents
Recognized Seasonal and Employer Cap increased
A cap of 19,500 workers, or 500 more than the previous year, maybe employed under the Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme for the 2023–2024 season. The increased RSE cap will allow workers from partner Pacific nations access if local labor is insufficient, providing labor to the wine and horticultural industries.
The increase this year takes into account the effects on the New Zealand labor market as well as the industry’s demand for access to a wider pool of workers.
New Roles added to Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement
Early in the next year, new employment will also be added to the agreement about the building and infrastructure sectors. They will be added, and more information will be available as the start date of the plan draws nearer in the following year. The following position will be included in the sector agreement, and more information is expected.
- Assistant driller
- Labourer for Earthmoving
- General operator of Earthmoving plant
- Road traffic controller
- Mechanics assistant
- Line marker
- Machine operators
Wage Requirements for the Green List Work-to-Residence Visa
The job-specific, income threshold, or green list role requirement that was in place at the start of the 24-month work experience as well as when the applicant applied for residency must be satisfied by those seeking a work-to-residence visa. If the median income increases throughout their 24-month work experience, they will need to meet the new criterion when they reapply for the visa or change jobs.
A person is exempt from this condition if they apply for a work visa or a vital purpose visiting visa that allows them to work before September 29, 2023. Those with a work visa issued by a recognized company are not exempt in this case; instead, they are only required to receive the median income at the time they apply for a residence permit.
New Zealand Skilled Migrant Visa Changes 2023 | Get Direct PR
On October 9, 2023, applications for the skilled migrant category resident visa for New Zealand became available. It offers a simple point system that creates a clear skill requirement for residency and gives applicants lots of chances to demonstrate their skill level. In this article, we’ll go over the specifics of the skilled migrant category resident visa as well as its most recent updates and benefits.
The skilled migrant category resident visa is a great solution for professionals who want to live and work continuously in New Zealand. Under the new method, candidates will require a total of six points to be granted residency.
Points Acquisition
A bachelor’s degree or higher is required, and points can be earned for a variety of things such as New Zealand occupational registration, income from a job, or an offer that must be at least 1.5 times the median pay in New Zealand, and other requirements.
Candidates may additionally add points for their age, employment history, and partners’ qualifications and experience in addition to these requirements. The SMC visa is open to anyone, and there is no limit on the number of SMC visas that can be issued. However, to be accepted, applicants must fulfill all requirements for eligibility.
Changes to Skilled Migrant Visa
The following are recent modifications to the resident visa for the skilled migrant category:
- First and foremost, if applicants do not acquire enough points through one of the skill streams, they must obtain additional points through skilled work experience in New Zealand.
- Also, before submitting a residency application, all applicants must have a solid job offer from New Zealand, and the majority must work there for a specific amount of time.
- Besides that, as long as they possess the appropriate abilities, there won’t be a cap on the number of people who can transfer under the new regulations.
- Additionally, employers can still bring workers to New Zealand on temporary work visas like the certified employer work visa or hire them on another work visa like the working holiday Visa even if they don’t meet the standards for residency.
With these modifications, a more straightforward point system will go into place, setting a clear competence threshold for residents and providing people with several methods to demonstrate their skill level.
Changes to Interim Visas
The requirement that applicants for skilled migrant category resident visas renew their temporary visas while they wait for the outcome of their application was removed on October 9, 2023, and a new temporary visa became effective for requests for residence visas under that category. On their way to residency, visa holders are given this additional service.
These changes also apply to partners and dependents of applicants for resident visas under the skilled migrant category. The skilled migrant category interim visa’s multiple entry travel requirements permit applicants to leave New Zealand and come back while the interim visa is still in effect.
Holders of interim skilled migrant visas will also have access to a mechanism that will allow them to modify some of the conditions of their temporary visas. With these changes, applicants will feel more confident and be able to adjust the conditions of their temporary visa if their circumstances change.
Variation of Conditions (VC’s)
The conditions of the existing interim visa and the circumstances of the application govern interim visas in the skilled immigrant category.
Advantages of the SMC Visa
Some of the SMC Visa’s primary benefits include:
- Employment and permanent residence remain permitted in New Zealand.
- Also, you may visit New Zealand along with your spouse and any dependant children.
- Moreover, you can use New Zealand’s public healthcare and educational systems.
- Besides that, you can seek New Zealand citizenship after four years of permanent residency in the country.
More information is available on the Immigration New Zealand website. You can also speak with an immigration attorney if interested in applying for the SMC Visa.
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