Visa relief for migrant workers

Thousands of migrant workers are set to get some reprieve as the Government makes short-term visa changes that will allow them to stay longer in New Zealand.

However, the move will also reduce the duration of all new low-skilled essential skills visas from 12 to six months, for the next

18 months, and will apply to all new lower-skilled essential skills work visa applications.

Migrant workers on a temporary employer-assisted visa, whose job has ended, need to apply for a new visa or leave New Zealand if they are able to.

The immediate visa changes include a six-month extension to employer-assisted temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 and will affect the

16,500 essential skills and work to residence visa holders.

About 600 lower-skilled work visa holders, mostly dairy farm workers, who would have been subject to a stand-down period between August 2020 and the end of December 2020, will also be able to stay for a further six months until February 2021.

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway emphasised that New Zealanders needing work would continue to be prioritised.

‘‘We are assisting employers to make the most of the available workforce, both New Zealanders and temporary migrants on shore in New Zealand.

‘‘This will provide some immediate relief and certainty for migrants and employers in the short term while they recover from the impact of Covid-19 and adjust to the changing labour market conditions where more New Zealanders will be available for work.’’

Lees-Galloway urged employers to focus on longerterm workforce planning and recruitment and training of New Zealand jobseekers.

The short-term changes would give employers some time to get ready for a changed labour market where more New Zealanders will be looking for work, he said.

‘‘New low-skilled work visas will only be granted for six instead of 12 months, as our priority is to preserve and prioritise future job opportunities for New Zealanders and give the system more flexibility to respond to labour market developments.’’

Lees-Galloway said the Government was continuing to work on a number of pre-Covid changes that included a different way to define lower-skilled/ lower-paid employment and a new process for employer-assisted work visas expected to be fully in place by mid-2021.