NZ Border Reopens, July End
NZ Government has long signalled it intended to bring that date forward, however, and Ardern confirmed it would kick in from 11.59pm on 31 July.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed the NZ 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 lowskilled migrant labour, and a new ‘Green list’ of 85 hard-to-fill highskill roles that provides a priority pathway to residency.
Visas for some 20,000 migrants already in the country are also being extended, and there would be new restrictions on students being able to work.
Ms Ardern, who was isolating with her partner at home, announced the move virtually at a Business NZ lunch in Auckland this after noon, with Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi and Minister of Education Chris Hipkins at the event in person.
While the border is already open to New Zealand citizens and residents and visitors from visa-waiver countries, people from countries that need to get a visa to travel to New Zealand had been told it would be October before they could book flights.
Government
The government has long signalled it intended to bring that date forward, however, and Ardern confirmed it would kick in from 11.59pm on 31 July - bringing the opening forward two months - allowing tourists with visas to begin arriving from August.
Ms Ardern said the announcement was a simplification of immigration settings that would address immediate skills shortages and speed up the economic recovery from COVID-19.
“By helping to relieve urgent skills shortages, opening up tourism and putting our immigration settings on a more secure footing, we are building on our proven plan to secure New Zealand’s economic future,” she said.
“This follows our previous reconnecting work which has seen approvals granted for over 29,000 critical workers, 5000 students, working holidaymakers, Australian tourists, and visa-waiver visitors already able to enter the country.”
Mr Faafoi said the Green List would include roles in sectors like construction engineering, trades, health workers and tech..
The new sector agreements care; construction and infrastructure; meat processing; seafood; and seasonal snow and adventure tourism sectors would provide for a shortterm need for lower-paid migrant labour, he said, but signalled an overall shift away from relying on those kinds of workers.
“The government has agreed to temporarily exempt tourism and hospitality businesses from paying the median wage to recruit migrants on an Accredited Employer Work Visa into most roles. Instead, a lower wage threshold of $25 per hour will be required until April 2023,” he said.