161 exemption applications for ‘critical workers’ under scrutiny but none approved

The gate has yet to open to skilled workers wanting to come to New Zealand since entry criteria were widened on June 18, according to Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) figures.

MBIE spokeswoman Yvette McKinley said that, as of Monday, the ministry had received 161 requests for border exemptions under its new ‘‘other critical worker’’ rules, since applications opened on June 18. But as of Thursday, none of the requests had been approved or declined.

The changes allowed employers to request border exemptions for workers they intended to hire on salaries of more than $106,800 a year and who had specialist skills that could not be found in New Zealand for ‘‘time critical’’ projects.

Exemptions were also allowed for some skilled workers to work on government, science and major infrastructure projects and those of regional or national economic significance. Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said at the time the changes would ‘‘support economic recovery’’ and stop key projects being delayed.

But National Party immigration spokesman Stuart Smith said he was concerned by the time applications were taking to process. He believed applications should ideally should be turned around within 24 hours.

McKinley said the bar for being granted an exception was set high to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and ‘‘protect the health of people already in New Zealand’’. Requests were now considered by senior immigration officials, instead of by Government ministers as had been the case under the previous ‘‘essential worker’’ regime.

‘‘While MBIE is committed to deciding requests for ‘other critical workers’ as quickly as possible, these requests were always expected to take longer to consider than requests under other exception criteria,’’ McKinley said.

Prior to the June 18 rule change, and as of June 10, requests had been received for 2372 foreigners to be allowed in as ‘‘other essential workers’’, of whom 237 had been invited to apply for a visa. Data released by MBIE suggests most of the successful applications were for film workers, 206 of whom received exemptions prior to June 18 to work on six productions.

Separate schemes allow dependants of citizens and residents to request exemptions.