Visas

Businesses that wish to hire people on Partner of a Worker Work Visas will need to be accredited employers and pay at least the minimum wage, under changes that come into effect from tomorrow.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand’s upgraded working holiday agreement with the UK will help support tourism and hospitality.

A large majority of working holiday and accredited employer work visas have been approved.

Three new working holiday visas between the United Kingdom and New Zealand will come into force by 1 July this year.

Frequent business visitors and officials and diplomats travelling to New Zealand from Pacific Island Forum Countries and Kiribati will receive improved visa conditions when travelling to New Zealand.

The government has deferred changes to partner work visas from December until April 2023 to refocus on immediate skill shortages.

Nearly half of the 36,000 working holiday visa holders approved since March this year are now in the country, says the government.

The government has allocated up to 2,000 visas per year for parents of skilled migrants resettling in New Zealand.

Thousands of working holidaymakers on their way to New Zealand will have more flexibility and extended entry rights to help plug labour shortages at Kiwi businesses.

Working holidaymakers are eyeing up this spring and from autumn 2023 as desirable times to travel to the country, according to a report from Immigration New Zealand.

Visa processing times are not as much of a barrier to filling workforce shortages as encouraging visitors and working holidaymakers to actually embark on travel.

There have been 30,430 Working Holiday Visas approved since March, with arrivals under the scheme expected to grow in the coming months, says Immigration Minister Michael Wood.

McClay said the wait time for visitor visas is now so bad that INZ has removed the standard processing times from its website.

The tourism minister says INZ is under “a great deal of stress” coping with demand as NZ ramps up its promotion.

The government says it has received around 30,500 working holiday visa applications in the past year.

International students studying in New Zealand will be able to take advantage of two new Post-Study Work Visa changes designed to help them find further work and residence after they complete their studies.

The government’s first residence category for highly-skilled workers has opened this week, with the launch of the Green List Straight to Residence pathway.

The seasonal snow and adventure tourism agreement will provide access to migrant workers for $25 per hour, to be reviewed up annually.

More than 85,000 people have been approved for the 2021 Resident Visa, providing more certainty for businesses and skilled migrants.

Employers looking to hire the visa holders need to appear as attractive as possible amid fierce competition.

Unemployment figures remain near record lows at 3.3%, and BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope says there is not enough flexibility in the tight labour market to address skill shortages.

Three new residence pathways will be introduced over the 14 months to address shortages in highly skilled areas.

Immigration New Zealand has received more than 103,000 applications involving 209,000 people for the 2021 Resident Visa, and of those, 37,455 have been processed.

The government has created a new investor category aimed at increasing direct foreign investment in New Zealand businesses.

The government needs to fix immigration delays or risk losing skilled workers with longserving staff giving up on the wait, says a tourism operator.

The National Party is calling on the government to add a six-month extension to all working holiday visas that are due to expire this year.

The final stage of the Accredited Employer Work Visa is now in effect, enabling migrants offshore to apply to work in New Zealand for an accredited employer.

Changes to the working holiday scheme with the United Kingdom will enable UK citizens up to the age of 35 to work in New Zealand for three years.

The government has expanded its Working Holiday Visa programme with Spain, enabling more young people to come to the country and work for longer.

The government has allowed those industries to pay a lower wage threshold of $25 per hour to migrant workers but only until April 2023.

An extension of New Zealand’s Working Holiday Scheme for Singapore will enable up to 300 Singaporeans to travel to New Zealand from 5 May.

Immigration New Zealand is working on campaigns to attract working holiday visa visitors, according to Prime Minister Jacinda Arden.

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Despite the WHV scheme being back on the table, it will still be a rough year ahead for the hostel and youth sector, warns NZHA chair Brett Duncan.

The government reopened working holiday visa applications at 11.59pm on Sunday night as it looked to help fill workforce shortages and support tourism.

Nearly 70,000 2021 Resident Visa applications have been received since applications first opened on 1 December 2021.

A record number of applications have been received following phase 2 of the government’s one-off 2021 Resident Visa.

The timing of the government border reopening for international students means that a large group of them would not enrol until early 2023, says Education New Zealand.

The first significant impact on the labour problem within the tourist industry could be provided by the return of working holiday makers from 13 March.

The New Zealand and UK governments have committed to enhancing their working holiday agreement.

The government has extended working holiday and supplementary seasonal employment work visas by six months.

Visitor visas will be the first to join an enhanced visa application system expected to reduce backlogs and speed approvals, says Immigration New Zealand.

International student border exception visa arrival numbers have slowed since July, according to data from Immigration New Zealand.

But there’s more to be done as the sector plans its staffing requirements for the recovery.

The 2021 Resident Visa could allow around 17,000 workers in the accommodation and food sectors to stay in NZ.

Changes to the essential skills visa will bring more certainty to accommodation and hospitality businesses struggling to fill vacancies, say industry groups.

Extension seen as piecemeal rather than changing labour market paradigms for tourism.

A lack of approved places for international students is taking a toll on NZ’s flight schools.

Six recommendations to current immigration and visa rules has been put forward as business struggle to hire.

Chinese students secure special ring-fenced MIQ allocation for June.