Govt eyes broader immigration terms

They have to be able to deal with young people and old people, people who may complain about things.

“Obviously we would prefer if possible to have New Zealanders first and foremost, but the fact of the matter is we just haven’t got them.”

She said a survey in 2016 found that only 1 per cent of Hospitality members were able to get a suitable manager through Work and Income, and 32 per cent said it took more than six months to find a suitable manager.

The rest-home sector will also be pleased to see aged-care nurses, although not caregivers, on the proposed list.

However the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which runs Immigration NZ, has not expressed a view on whether any of the 14 new occupations should be added to the essential skills list and has assessed them all as having only “moderate” evidence of skill shortages.

Jobs listed on the Jobs Online index declined in the year to June in 10 of the 14 occupations, and increased only for aged care nurses (up 27 per cent), fitters (up 14 per cent), glaziers (up 11 per cent) and wood machinists (up 10 per cent).

Immigration NZ granted 4684 essential skills visas to people in the 14 occupations in the year to June, including 1962 carpenters, 1043 cafe and restaurant managers and 708 aged care nurses.

The visas granted to aged care nurses represented 240 per cent of the total 284 registered nurses estimated to be employed in aged care, although the ministry noted this was probably due to classification issues and asked for better information from the industry.

Visas granted in the year to June represented 15 per cent of all existing wood machinists, 13 per cent of carpenters, 7 per cent of stonemasons and 6 per cent of cafe and restaurant managers, but only minimal percentages of the other nine occupations.

The proposed list is open for submissions until November 9 and a final list will be issued in January.