The Government has made decisions on proposals announced in April to change the settings for temporary migrant workers under the Essential Skills policy. The changes will support already announced changes to the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) residence policy and strike the right balance between ensuring New Zealanders are at the front of the queue for jobs and preserving access to the temporary migrant labour necessary for New Zealand’s continued economic growth. The changes follow a consultation exercise and include:
The changes will be introduced on 28 August this year, at the same time as the changes to the SMC. Detailed information about the application of these policy changes will be available within the next fortnight. That information will be published on the INZ website and will include how the remuneration threshold will be calculated, implications for family members of workers in lower-skilled roles, and how the stand-down period will be applied. Questions and answersWhy are we introducing remuneration bands and what will they be?Remuneration is an excellent proxy for skills and the introduction of remuneration bands will complement the qualifications and occupation framework (ANZSCO). The bands are:-
How will employers be able to source the labour they need under the proposals?Immigration policy is premised on a New Zealanders first approach and employers are required to ensure they are doing all they can to train and employ New Zealanders. However, these changes are not designed to reduce the number of migrants coming in on temporary work visas. Where there are genuine skills shortages, employers will still be able to recruit temporary migrant workers, as long as they can demonstrate there are not New Zealanders available to do the job. Why has three years been chosen as the maximum duration for lower-skilled Essential Skills work visas?A maximum duration of three years provides a balance between giving lower-skilled Essential Skills visa holders the opportunity to transition to a higher skilled Essential Skills visa or obtain residence, while also ensuring that migrants with no pathway to residence do not become well-settled in New Zealand. It also provides employers with time to recruit new staff or upskill existing staff to fill the role. How will the decision to limit lower-skilled Essential Skills visa holders to a maximum initial three-year period affect people already here?The change will not be applied retrospectively for lower-skilled Essential Skills workers already in New Zealand. The three year maximum duration will start from the date their next lower-skilled Essential Skills visa is granted after the introduction of the changes to the Essential Skills policy. Why are you restricting the ability of partners and children of lower-skilled migrant workers to come here?The changes are designed to ensure that lower-skilled migrants are clear about their future prospects in New Zealand. Lower skilled Essential Skills workers will take up employment in New Zealand with a full understanding that they will only be able to bring their family to New Zealand as a short-term visitor, unless they meet visa requirements in their own right. Removing eligibility for open work visas for partners of lower-skilled Essential Skills visa holders will potentially provide more opportunities for local workers to take on those roles. While some lower-skilled Essential Skills visa holders could be discouraged from coming to New Zealand it is not expected to reduce the numbers of principal Essential Skills applicants. Will the change affect families already here?Families of lower-skilled Essential Skills visa holders already in New Zealand will be able to remain here for the duration that the Essential Skills visa holder remains legally in New Zealand.
8 Comments
27/7/2017 08:47:53 pm
Key change:
Reply
27/7/2017 08:59:17 pm
any migrant earning below $41,538 a year will be considered lower-skilled and will be subject to the stand down periods. Any migrant earning between $41,538 and $73,299 a year in an occupation classified as ANZSCO Level 1 – 3 will be considered mid-skilled, and those earning over $73,299 a year will automatically be considered higher-skilled, regardless of their occupation.
Reply
28/7/2017 05:34:44 pm
Skilled Migrant Category is the most common pathway to residence. From 28 August 2017, for employment to be considered skilled, new additional requirements, will also take into account the applicant’s salary. To be eligible, migrants will need to have an annual base salary of at least $41,538.
Reply
NIsha khan
4/8/2017 04:58:43 pm
Hi dear,
Reply
Ivy
20/8/2017 11:34:35 pm
http://www.immigrationtrust.co.nz/new-zealand-immigration-news/new-skilled-migrant-category-effective-from-28th-august-2017
Reply
Ivy
22/8/2017 05:59:01 pm
Details of skilled migrant category resident visa have been announced. Check http://www.immigrationtrust.co.nz/new-zealand-immigration-news/skilled-migrant-details-announced
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorImmigration Trust Team Archives
January 2025
|