NZ Migration News
Holiday Office Hours
Friday, 9th August, 2024
Response timeframes over holiday period
Friday, 9th August, 2024
We are extending the timeframes for applicants to respond to us during the holiday period.
Between 9 December 2024 and 6 January 2025, customers will have at least 20 working days to respond to any concerns or requests for information from us.
Parent Retirement Resident Visa updates
Friday, 9th August, 2024
We have pre-recorded an information session on changes to the Parent Retirement Resident Visa.
The session provides insights and addresses common questions we have been receiving. This information may also be relevant to other investor visas.
Watch the information session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P0u-FhEzSI
Please note that this session is about the investment-based Parent Retirement Resident Visa, not the family-based Parent Resident Visa.
Tell us if people change or migrants leave their job
Friday, 13th December, 2024
A reminder that accredited employers must tell us if migrants leave their job or key people change.
Accredited employers must tell us within 10 working days if an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holder has stopped working for them. They, or their advisers, can do this easily through enhanced Immigration Online.
Employers do not need to inform us if their AEWV employee has less than 1 month remaining on their visa.
Click here to tell INZ if an AEWV employee stops working.
Accredited employers must also tell us within 10 working days if key people, such as directors, partners, CEOs or school principals, in their organisation change.
They can let us know by calling 0508 967 569.
Click here to learn more about accredited employer obligations.
Increase to visa charges comes into effect from 1 October, 2024
Friday, 9th August, 2024
The Government announced today that increases to visa charges, made up of fees and levies, are being introduced on 1 October 2024.
What's changing?
From 1 October, new visa charges will be set at an appropriate level to recover the costs of processing a visa and reflect the benefits received by people using immigration services.
Download the details here - Immigration Fee and Levy table of charges.
The $57 million IT disaster at Immigration NZ
Friday, 2nd December, 2022
If you’d paid $57 million for a new visa processing machine, you’d expect it to be able to issue visas correctly, wouldn’t you?
Incredibly, at the time of writing, Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ’s) new ADEPT visa processing technology isn’t performing that crucial task.
Not that INZ will admit to it.
At least, that’s what licensed immigration advisers (LIAs) are telling us. We asked INZ twice what are the main problems with ADEPT, and twice they wouldn’t say.
INZ does admit to “challenges” and “hitches” with the new system which have caused frustration, though it won’t list what they are.
Read the full story here The $57 million IT disaster at Immigration NZ.
Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (SMC) to resume
Friday, 14th October, 2022
Selections of expressions of interest (EOIs) for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa (SMC) will resume on 9 November 2022.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) uses a points-based system to assess EOIs. On 9 November we will select all EOIs with at least 160 points, which is the current threshold.
Points Indicator | Immigration New Zealand
After 9 November, the threshold will increase to 180 points.
EOIs will be selected again on 18 January 2023.
The threshold increase will only affect EOIS after 9 November 2022.
More information is available on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website.
Parent Resident Visa restarts
Friday, 14th October, 2022
Selections for the Parent Resident Visa Category expressions of interest (EOIs) are restarting and the number of visas that can be granted each year has increased from 1,000 to 2,500. The income threshold required for sponsors has also been lowered. This means more people will be able to bring their parents to join them in New Zealand.
We will restart selections of EOIs from the current queue from 14 November, and selections are planned for every three months after that. New EOIs will be selected by ballot with the first selection in August 2023.
EOI selection has been paused since 2016 to allow for a review of the Parent Category settings. It was set to restart in 2020, however, it was further paused due to the pandemic. We appreciate things may have changed for many families since they submitted their EOIs, and we want to make sure they are aware of the options available to them.
Key details of the changes are noted below, and more information is on the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) website.
New Zealand border reopening fully from end of July
Thursday, 12th May, 2022
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed the border will fully reopen from the end of July, including for cruise ships and international students.
It comes with a range of other immigration announcements, including sector-specific agreements to support a shift away from low-skilled migrant labour, and a new 'Green list' of 85 hard-to-fill high-skill roles that provides a priority pathway to residency.
The Green List would include roles in sectors like construction engineering, trades, health workers and tech.
A second work-to-residence pathway requires two years in the job before migrants become eligible for residency. This would also apply to specific roles in health, education, trades, teachers in particular specialisations like science and maths, early childhood teachers, and registered plumbers.
Visas for some 20,000 migrants already in the country are also being extended, and there will be new restrictions on students being able to work.
Read more here >>> New Zealand border reopening fully from end of July.
Visa Extensions and Visa Conditions
Thursday, 12th May, 2022
On 9 May 2022, open work visas were granted to onshore holders of the following work visas expiring between 9 May and 31 December 2022 (inclusive):
- Essential Skills Work Visa
- Post Study Work Visa
- Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa
The new open work visas:
- are valid from 9 May 2022 until two years from the date of expiry of the previous visa
- allow the holder to work for any employer anywhere in New Zealand, and
- allow the holder to leave and re-enter New Zealand.
Read more here >>> New open work visa.
Important Visa Updates
Monday, 7th February 2022
The Government's five-step plan to reopen New Zealand's borders this year will allow more families to reunite, sectors and employers to access more skilled workers from offshore, business travel and international events to resume, and more international students to return to New Zealand. Vaccination, COVID-19 testing and isolation requirements will continue.
Managed Isolation & Quarantine (MIQ) requirements will remain for the unvaccinated. MiQ requirements for other travellers will be lifted in the following steps.
Step 1 – New Zealanders in Australia - 27 February 2022
Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other travellers eligible under current border settings from 11:59 pm on Sunday 27 February.
Travellers from Nauru, Tuvalu and American Samoa will be able to enter from Step 1.
Step 2 – New Zealanders around the world - 13 March 2022
Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other travellers eligible under current border settings from 11:59pm on Sunday 13 March.
Travellers from Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Fiji can enter New Zealand from Step 2.
Working Holiday Schemes will begin to reopen.
The salary criteria for critical workers in roles longer than six months will be reduced to 1.5 times the median wage. The requirement for these workers to demonstrate ‘unique experience and technical or specialist skills that are not readily obtainable in New Zealand’ will be removed. Workers entering under these settings will not be eligible for the special 2021 Resident Visa.
Step 3 – Temporary visa holders, international students - 12 April 2022
Current offshore temporary visa holders (who still meet relevant visa requirements) and up to 5000 international students selected by the Ministry of Education from 11:59 pm from Tuesday 12 April.
Wider entry for sports and other events will be enabled. Additional and expanded class exceptions for critical workers earning below 1.5 times the median wage will be implemented from Step 3.
Step 4 – Borders to Australia reopen - July 2022
Our borders will open to Australia, visitors from visa waiver countries and Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders from July.
Opening travel to Australians and visitors from visa waiver countries means family members of more onshore temporary migrants will be able to visit New Zealand.
At this point, the border exception pathway for critical workers will be phased out as it will no longer be needed with the opening of the new AEWV category. The new Accredited Employer Work Visa will be limited mainly to roles that pay above the median wage.
Workforce class exceptions and other border exceptions will remain in place where needed until wider visa processing resumes.
>>> Visa waiver countries | Immigration New Zealand.
Step 5 Normal visa processing resumes - October 2022
Most visa categories, including visitor and student visas, will reopen in October.
Details for the 2021 Resident Visa one-off.
Friday, 19th November, 2021
As announced last month, the New Zealand Government has introduced the 2021 Resident Visa a one-off, simplified pathway to residence for migrants in New Zealand.
All principal applicants must be in New Zealand and hold an eligible visa on the day they apply.
Phases:
First phase ...
The first phase of applications for the 2021 Resident Visa opens on 1 December 2021.
Those who had, on or before 29 September 2021, submitted an expression of interest (EOI) for the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Visa which also included a dependent child over the age of 17 may apply for the 2021 Resident Visa in this first phase, as can those with pending residence applications under the Skilled Migrant and Residence from Work (RfW) categories.
Second Phase ...
The second phase of application for the 2021 Resident Visa opens on 1 March 2022 for all others eligible, including Critical Purpose Visa holders who do not qualify to apply in the first phase.
Please be guided with our One-off residency pricing:
Principal - $1500 NZD
Partner - $500 NZD
Child/ren - $300 NZD (each)
Essential Skills Work Visa Changes
Saturday, 17th July, 2021
- Increase the maximum duration of Essential Skills visas for employment paid below the median wage from 12 months to two years.
- Remove the requirement to provide a police certificate or medical certificate with an Essential Skills visa application, if one has been provided previously.
- Remove the labor market test requirement and not require an employment agreement to be provided for applicants who meet the streamlined criteria.
- The streamlined criteria apply if an applicant is remaining in their current, full-time employment and they hold one of the following visas:
- a work visa of any type (including a Working Holiday visa), or
- a student visa with conditions allowing unlimited work rights (see U13.15.15), or
- a Critical Purpose visitor visa is either granted as a critical health worker or granted for more than six months as an ‘other critical worker’ (including those coming in under a class exception).
These instructions are effective on and after the 19th of July 2021.
Read more here >>> Application process simplified.
Official Immigration Update
Wednesday, 16th June, 2021
The median wage of $27 per hour will kick in this 19 July 2021.
Any Essential Skills work visa applied on this date and beyond will he subject to this new median hourly wage.
The same remuneratMn threshold applies to EOls under the Skilled Migrant Category. If you are currently at a $25.50 hourly rate and you think there is no chance of you getting this new salary threshold, and your current work visa is on to expire, it would be in your best Interest to apply for a new visa NOW.
Please read through the article (see link below) for detailed information and updates on Working Holiday and SSE visa extension and border exemption for dairy farmworkers.
Read more here >>> New median wage announcement.
New Accredited Employer Work Visa - single work visa replacing the current six employer-assisted temporary work visas.
Friday, 7th May, 2021
The Government is introducing a new temporary work visa called the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV). The Accredited Employer Work Visa will be introduced on 1 November 2021 and will replace 6 of the existing temporary work visa categories.
Alongside the Accredited Employer Work Visa, a new employer-led system will be introduced that will generally simplify the application process and make it easier for businesses and regions to fill genuine skills shortages when it is clear that there is no New Zealander available to do the job, or who can be trained up for the role.
Employers will need to be accredited before they can hire a migrant on an Accredited Employer Work Visa.
The AEWV replaces these 6 work visas:
- Essential Skills Work Visa
- Essential Skills Work Visa — approved in principle
- Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa
- Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
- Silver Fern Job Search Visa (closed 7 October 2019)
- Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa.
Learn more about employer accreditation and the new 3-check visa application process here >>> NZ Immigration website.
Family reunification border exemptions: How hundreds of healthcare workers can reunite
Monday, 29th April, 2021
The Government has provided details of how hundreds of families who were separated by the border closure can be reunited under new border exemptions.
It's a fix for the anomaly which meant those who came in before the border closed couldn't bring their families in the usual way but those who came in after the borders shut could because they were granted an exemption.
Some families were separated while in the process of moving to New Zealand, with some family members already here, and the other family members planning to move separately.
It meant some parents weren't able to see their children for more than a year, sparking concerns it might force important migrant healthcare workers to leave when we need them most.
The border exemption, announced by Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi on Monday, means temporary migrants working in healthcare in New Zealand will be able to bring their partners and dependent children here.
To be eligible, their family members in New Zealand must have more than 12 months remaining on their visa. Those who are eligible will be able to request a border exemption from April 30.
Before the borders closed, many healthcare workers were able to bring their family with them when they moved to New Zealand. Those arriving now as a 'critical healthcare worker' are also able to do so.
But a number of healthcare workers arrived just before or after the border closure, and were not able to bring their family with them at the time. That is the anomaly the Government wants to fix, after months of pressure and stories of heartbreak.
Immigration NZ cannot process visas for people offshore, unless they have a border exemption, so their families have not been able to apply for a visa to travel to New Zealand.
With this new exemption in place, those working in New Zealand's healthcare sector will once again be able to apply for visas to bring their families to live with them, thanks to the new exemption.
The Government is also allowing some other highly-skilled, non-healthcare temporary workers into the country, to ensure we can retain highly-skilled workers necessary for the economic recovery.
"We are in the midst of a global pandemic, which requires strict border restrictions. But we have been mindful of the difficulties migrant workers and families have faced," Faafoi said.
"In the past year, we have introduced exceptions that have allowed entry for around 13,000 family members of New Zealand citizens and residents and 1300 temporary work visa holders, and their families, who normally live here and were overseas when the borders closed. More than 2500 family members of critical workers have also entered to date.
"These latest exceptions are expected to allow hundreds more migrants to come to New Zealand and join their families."
Article courtesy of newshub.co.nz