Visas & Advice Detail
Spotlight on temporary visas
With INZ announcing cuts to the ISSL, many prospective migrants may find it harder to secure a permanent residence visa for New Zealand.
However, the changes to the ISSL do not mean that employers cannot recruit migrants to work temporarily in the country.
"Removal of an occupation from the lists does not mean that an employer cannot recruit a temporary migrant worker," said Annakin. "That is still possible. The employer can demonstrate genuine attempts to recruit a suitable New Zealander, as is the process with all other occupations. If no suitable New Zealanders are available in that location then temporary work permits will still be issued."
He continued: "The number of temporary migrant workers in New Zealand will still be dependent on employer need. However, for occupations no longer on the list the labour market test process ensures that no New Zealanders are available before an employer recruits a migrant worker."
With the spotlight firmly on temporary visas, Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman recently announced changes to the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme which may affect some temporary migrants. "The RSE Scheme has been a success, and this government plans to continue the scheme and enhance it," he said.
Changes included the requirement that RSE workers will need to hold current health insurance and an alteration to ensure that rules for deductions from these workers' wages are the same as those for New Zealanders. Most importantly, however, Coleman announced the introduction of a new type of work permit which will be called the Supplementary Seasonal Employer (SSE) Permit.
"The SSE work permit will provide extra labour at peak harvest times and will be a mechanism for growers to top up their labour pool," he said. "Like RSE, SSE will be labour market tested. To apply for a SSE work permit, workers would need to be already in New Zealand lawfully. SSE permits will be valid for six months and will allow workers to move from one approved SSE employer to another."