New Zealand Implements Stricter Visa Rules to Address Migration Concerns

 


In response to what it deems "unsustainable net migration," New Zealand has announced the tightening of its visa rules. The changes, which apply to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) scheme, are designed to enhance the testing of the local labor market and reduce the risk of displacing New Zealanders from jobs, according to the country’s Minister of Immigration, Erica Stanford.


The new rules, effective immediately, include introducing a minimum standard of English proficiency, a new minimum skill requirement involving work experience or qualifications, and shortening the maximum continuous stay on an AEWV to three years.


Employers are now required to ensure that migrants meet these new requirements before hiring them. They must also declare that no suitable and available New Zealander applied for the job before offering it to a migrant. Job postings must be advertised for at least 21 days, and employers must explain why any New Zealanders who applied were not hired.


Despite acknowledging skill shortages in areas such as education, Stanford emphasized the importance of prioritizing New Zealanders for jobs where no such shortages exist. Certain roles in the transport and care sectors will be exempt from these new requirements, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

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