There are many different types of visas and choosing the right one can be confusing. Here, we present a brief overview of the most common visa types.
RESIDENT VISAS
Skilled Migrant
Applying under the Skilled Migrant category has always been the most popular visa class for obtaining residence in New Zealand. All principle applicants for this visa class must be under 56 years of age and are required to meet a minimum standard of health, character and English language prerequisites before an Expression of Interest can be lodged with Immigration New Zealand. The Skilled Migrant visa is for those with skilled employment in New Zealand and/or who have recognised qualifications and experience that will benefit New Zealand.
Family
If you have family member who is already a New Zealand citizen or residence you may be eligible to remain in New Zealand permanently. The family class is divided partnership, parent and dependent child category of residence.
The Partnership category is for those living together in a exclusive, genuine and stable relationship. You do not have to be legally married and you maybe in a same-sex relationship.
The Parent category is for those with an adult New Zealand citizen or residence and income and sponsorship criteria applies. Application are submitted by submitting an Expression of Interest and then being invited to apply for residence.
The Dependent Child category is for children (in some circumstance up to 24 years of age) of New Zealand citizens and parents.
Investor and Business Categories
For those with a proven record of running a business, have capital and are wanting to actively engage in running and business opportunities in New Zealand.
TEMPORARY VISAS
Work visa:
The most common type of work visa is the Essential Skills work visa. If you have a job offer from a New Zealand employer, then this is probably the visa for you. The employer will need to show that there are no New Zealand citizens or residents available to fill the vacancy. They can do this by showing that the occupation is on one of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists http://skillshortages.immigration.govt.nz/ or by providing evidence of advertising for the vacancy.
You will also need to meet health and character requirements as well as be able to demonstrate that you are appropriately qualified by training or experience to take up the position.
Important note: New Zealand employers can sometimes be reluctant to sponsor offshore candidates unless there are specific skills shortages and the candidate is generally unable to start for 4-6 weeks so careful planning is required.
Working Holiday Visa:
Younger citizens, generally between 18 years and 35 years, of certain countries may be eligible for a Working Holiday Visa. These visa, and schemes can differ, allows you to work and travel for one year with Canadian and United Kingdom passport holders able to stay longer. You must not undertake permanent employment and some schemes have a restricted on the length of employment for any one employer
Student Visa:
If you are enrolled into a qualifying course at a New Zealand tertiary institution, you can apply for a student visa. Some student visas also allow you to work up to 20 hours per week.
Temporary Retirement Category:
This is an extension visa designed for people who wish to stay in New Zealand longer than the 12 months of a visitor’s visa. Applicants will be issued with a 2 year multiple entry visitor’s visa which allows for travel in & out of New Zealand. It is only a temporary visa. At the end of the 2 years, applicants must leave New Zealand or re-apply for a further visa under this category, subject to meeting the requirement of this visa.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be aged 66 or over;
- Nominate funds/assets of at least NZ$0.75 million and undertake to invest that money in New Zealand for a period of two years;
- Be able to show that they own the (legally earned or acquired) funds/assets;
- Be able to transfer & invest the said funds in an acceptable investment in New Zealand;
- Be able to nominate funds of NZ$0.5 million of maintenance funds and demonstrate ownership of these funds;
- Have an annual income of at least NZ$60,000.
In this category, the applicant may include his/her partner but dependent children cannot be included. Both the principal applicant and partner must also meet the health and character requirements and hold and maintain comprehensive travel and or health insurance for the two year duration. Should you be successful in your application, you will need to transfer and invest your funds in New Zealand within 3 months of your approval in principle. If you fail to do so your application will be declined.
Visitor Visa
If you wish to visit New Zealand for a short time for tourism or visiting family, then you may need to apply for a visitor visa. Nationals of some countries are not required to apply for a visitor visa before travelling to New Zealand. Others must obtain visitor visa before travelling to New Zealand. Generally, visitors may stay for a maximum of nine months in New Zealand, although this can be extended in certain circumstances.
Australian citizens and people who hold a current Australian permanent residence visa or a current Australian resident return visa do not need a New Zealand visitor visa to enter New Zealand.
Develop a visa vision
Based on your dreams and assessed against either New Zealand or Australian immigration policies. We tailor bespoke visa plans for you and your family. We suggest alternatives and consider short-term and long-term goals.
Lodge successful visa and variation of conditions applications
We know how, when and where to make applications that are likely to succeed. Through correctly interpreting policy, preparing the forms, collating the right documentation and dealing with Immigration New Zealand.
Manage visa challenges
Whether you have received a potentially prejudicial challenge, have a particular complication, have been previously declined or have simply lost your way, we know the answers and have solutions.
Create employer-specific solutions
We work with employers to gain Employer Accredited, Job Check tokens, Sponsorship approvals and Labour Agreements. Right advice, first time, every time.
Finally, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) have announced a timeframe and a high level overview of the disruptive changes to employer supported work visa applications.
Promoted as easier and employer lead, the devil will be in the detail and the ability of INZ to deliver quality decisions in a timely manner for this is a three-stage process.
What is new on 1 November 2021?
– Employers of Employer Assisted Work Visa holders will need to be accredited under the new Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) system when new employees apply for a first-time work visa or existing employees apply for another work visa.
– Accreditation criteria will differ: Standard employers with up to five migrant workers, High for those employing over five migrant workers, and a further category, Franchise and triangular employment arrangements.
– The AEWV system involves three separate applications, each with a unique criteria, referred to as the employer check, job check and migrant worker check.
What ceases on 30 June 2021
– Accredited Employer (Talent – Accredited Employer)
– Labour Hire Accreditation (Essential Skills)
– Approval in Principle (Essential Skills)
What ceases on 31 October 2021– Essential Skills Work Visa applications
– Approved in Principle Work Visa applications
– Talent (Accredited Employer) Work Visa applications
– Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
– Silver Fern Practical Experience Visa applications
What does this mean for you as a migrant worker in New Zealand?
New visa rules apply to you when you apply for your next visa after 1 November 2021. After that time, your employer will need to have AEWV accreditation (employer check) and have gained approval to fill the role with a migrant worker (job check) before you apply for a work visa (migrant worker check).
What does this mean for you as an employer of migrant workers?
Employers of migrant workers will need to obtain AEWV accreditation (employer check) and obtain approval to fill roles with migrant workers (job check) when new employees apply for a first time work visa or existing employees apply for another work visa after 1 November 2021.
For more information as it comes to hand please register for news by filling in the form below.
Disclaimer: Mary Noonan is Heartland Immigration Ltd Managing Director her views expressed in this article are not intended to replace the professional service provided to individual migrants by a Licensed or Registered Immigration Adviser or Migration Agent.
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South Island Field Days
At Heartland Immigration we like to say that we are “on visa” while our farmers are “on farm”, however before Easter, at the Kirwee South Island Field Days we managed both. Meeting new people, greeting established clients while surrounded by folk passionate about agriculture, grass under our feet and canvas overhead. Wonderful exhibitions, fabulous equipment and innovation aplenty. I particularly liked the small helicopter for precision spraying.
Employers, with existing or who plan to employ employer assisted work visas holders, were eager to get to know about the new requirement for all employers to hold INZ Accreditation. By early May we hope to be able to share the implementation timeframe and are eagerly awaiting this from Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
At Kirwee we also met folk in the dairy industry pleased that assistant dairy farm manager and dairy herd manager roles join dairy farm manager as “skilled” occupations for residence assessment purposes. If you or your staff member would like to arrange a Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) residence pathway, now is the time.
If we didn’t meet you out and about and you would like to receive updates on employer assisted work visas or assistance with SMC please phone 021 793 205 or email [email protected].
Unsure about automatic visa renewals
INZ has a new tool for migrants to check if they met the criteria for an automatic visa without the need to formally apply. It isn’t always clear about who is eligible but now you can check it here.
Immigration (COVID-19 Response) Amendment Bill
A new immigration bill is currently before parliament aimed at extending temporary powers to administer visas until 15 May 2023. This is an extension of Covid-19 emergency immigration legislation which was first introduced May 2020.
Departures exceed arrivals
Migrant departures exceeded migrant arrivals, year ending February 2021, which hasn’t occurred since the late 1970’s. This is understandable with such restricted borders with folk relocating back to their original home country during this current emergency while others are unable to enter NZ. This is disruptive not only for split families but also as it adversely affects our economy.
Much is publicised from various industries highlighting the strain many employers are experiencing because they are unable to recruit onshore skilled personnel and yet they are unable to recruit offshore. Yes, upskilling and redeploying are good tools and have their place in the toolbox however that doesn’t resolve the immediate need. Let us not forget we are a country of migrants with a small population.
The sooner more places are available in managed quarantine (MQ) for skilled folk the better.
Vaccination passports
A vaccination pass or passport is documentation proving that you have been vaccinated against Covid-19. It may be in the form of a hardcopy but more likely an electronic version will be used. I remember carrying a yellow cardboard booklet detailing my vaccination status when I first travelled. Air New Zealand is trailing digital “vaccine passports” on trans-tasman routes. This travel pass application from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been designed to confirm the traveller’s pre-travel test results and vaccination. Moving forward the need to prove our health status will go hand in hand with our visa status when travelling internationally. Good luck Air New Zealand.
In the UK they intend to use a National Health Service phone app to verify the Covid-19 status of individuals travelling internationally.
Time will tell which system is to be used but you can be sure being vaccinated, having evidence of this and providing recent Covid-19 testing results will be the norm.
Keep safe and do follow the Covid-19 rules. To flourish, the world needs international borders to be fluid.
Disclaimer: Mary Noonan is Heartland Immigration Ltd Managing Director her views expressed in this article are not intended to replace the professional service provided to individual migrants by a Licensed or Registered Immigration Adviser or Migration Agent.
A work to residence option, where employment at a salary of $79,560 from an Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Accredited Employer leads to the grant of residence after two years, is being promoted to motivate employees in the construction industry to change employers.
On Hire Labour Accredited Employers
Work visa holders who are employees of On Hire Labour Accredited Employer are unable to take advantage of this work to residence option. The employer must be a Talent Accredited Employer. Not all INZ employer accreditations are equal, so migrant workers, be aware.
A good percentage of migrant workers, particularly from the The Philippines, work in the construction industry and are often employed by On Hire Labour Employers. What Covid-19 hasn’t done is dampen the need for qualified tradespeople as offshore replacements are practically non-existent, training initiatives take time and all while the demand for qualified construction remains high and critical to our economic recovery.
Poaching staff from one employer to another is rife, not limited to this community or industry, and while it may be a quick fix for an individual employer, it doesn’t solve the real issue for the industry as a whole. The call for relaxing the restrictions for essential workers to increase the qualified construction industry workforce, along with other industries, is growing louder, however in the meantime poaching occurs given the skills pool isn’t in pace with demand.
Of course migrant work visa holders are entitled to change employers subject to holding the correct visa, and for most, this means an application to INZ to change the conditions on their existing work visa. Inferring a benefit exists when it does not exist however is misleading and amounts to migrant exploration.
Empowering migrant work visa holders
However, migrants can empower themselves firstly by checking if the prospective employer is a Talent Accredited Employer via the INZ website.
Then reassuring themselves that the new job offer is not inferior to their current Individual Employment Agreement (IEA). This is where the unions, employment and immigration professionals play a valuable role, buyer beware.
We have seen examples of IEA’s without the guarantee of 30 hours per week because the job offer is made in New Zealand and not subject to the offshore recruitment scrutiny nor compliant with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) standards. The latter was set up by The Philippine Government to safeguard the interest of their migrant workers and it’s disappointing such standards are not maintained for those folk while they are in NZ. Pandemic or no pandemic protection of the migrant workforce is a must.
Migrant work visa holders please be aware.
Disclaimer: Mary Noonan is Heartland Immigration Ltd Managing Director and her views, expressed in this article, are not intended to replace the professional service provided to individual migrants by a Licensed Immigration Adviser.
UK citizens traveling to Europe for their summer holidays, vaccination program permitting, need to prepare differently given post Brexit changes. This is because international travel is no longer fluid for British passport holders in the EU and necessitates different preparation.
Here are our top 9 tips for a Brexit ready Covid-19 prepared holiday
- The validity of your passport
Start with checking the expiry date on your passport. From day one of the journey you, and each member of your family, will need a passport less than 10 years old, but still valid for at least 6 months. Different rules apply when travelling into Ireland. For more on traveling in Ireland read here.
Now is a great time to begin the process for renewing passports as once travel restrictions reduce, passport issuing services around the world are likely to be very busy. You won’t want to pay for priority processing. - Medical Care
Establish if you are eligible for medical care in the countries to be visited and transited through as you may need travel insurance. Even minor complaints and simple treatments can be very costly abroad.
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) are valid if you’re travelling to an EU country. Travel to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein requires insurance cover, however some emergency treatment may also be covered while in Norway.
Anyone can have an illness or accident at any time, and you won’t be at home, so take care to consider your circumstances. More advice on buying travel insurance with the right cover. - Pet travel
If your fur babies are travelling with you they will also need the right documentation and vaccinations. Get them holiday ready by researching. More advice for taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad. - Carrying food, plants and plant products in the EU
Consider what you pack. You are unable to take meat, milk or products containing them into the EU, although there are some exceptions for infant and pet food and people with special medical needs. Visit rules about taking plants and plant products into the EU if you are thinking of packing any plants or plant products. - Border control
Remember when you travel to the EU you are entering another country, so be prepared to show you have the means to leave again and you have enough money for your stay. Travelling for other than a holiday may involve applying for a visa and meeting that country’s immigration rules. Each country has unique immigration, border and custom rules. - Local laws and customs
Each country you arrive in, transit through have separate law and local customs to be respectful of and a little study about the places you intend to visit may pay dividends. It is a great way to extend your enjoyment of your holiday build up, expectations and plans. - Covid-19
Meet all Covid-19 safety protocols and read the advice for travelling during the pandemic. - Stay Current
Covid-19 has taught us that our plans can change at a moment’s notice. Ensure you stay connected so you are aware of the most current travel restrictions, weather events, vaccination and health requirements. Have a plan B. - Keep safe while on holiday
Finally, remember you are not at home, behave as a guest and don’t forget to enjoy the journey.
Disclaimer: Mary Noonan is Heartland Immigration Ltd Managing Director and her views, expressed in this article, are not intended to replace the professional service provided to individual migrants by a Licensed or Registered Immigration Adviser or Migration Agent.
