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.
Register for upcoming news
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.
Residence is a step closer for migrant workers employed in the dairy industry. It is pleasing Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced it will assess Dairy Cattle Farmer occupations in line with the The Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) six digit code of 121313 in the 1.3 version. This brings much needed clarity for those involved in the dairy industry and while it isn’t a not a fast track to residence, it is a gate in a long fence run.
I can personally attest, this has taken decades to achieve as I have discussed this situation, on numerous occasions, in previous roles and admire Federated Farmers and other industry organisations for their dedication to the cause and this achievement. Well done.
ANZSCO is a system that collects, publishes and analyses occupation information alongside the qualifications and experience required for each occupation. Updated versions are released periodically and currently, other than a selected inclusion list, INZ currently uses the 1.2 version of ANZSCO.
While INZ places less emphasis on ANZSCO for work visa determination, given wage rates dominates, it still remains significant for matching job titles against job descriptions and actual duties performed, reviewing market wage rates and for residence.
New skilled occupations in the dairy industry
The win for the dairy industry is that assistant dairy farm manager and dairy herd manager roles join dairy farm manager as “skilled” occupations for residence assessment purposes. The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) of the Residence Program is a points based system of allocating points with applicants needing to apply for an Expression of Interest, to be placed in a pool, and then to be selected and issued with an Invitation to Apply for Residence.
A job offer is not mandatory for SMC; however it is generally the pathway to gain residence, so including more dairy folk whose roles are considered to be eligible is a bonus for the dairy industry. Other criteria must be met such as evidence of a high standard of English language which may well be a major challenge for a number of migrants.
An Expression of Interest
Currently, INZ is not issuing any Invitations to Apply, however the opportunity to apply for An Expression of Interest to be placed in the pool remains open. Now is a good time to establish if you or your worker has a pathway to residence and we can help you plan that pathway.
Contact Heartland Immigration and let us be on visa while you are on farm.
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.
