Partners of critical workers in New Zealand have been granted work rights and can now work for any employer for the duration of their Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (CPVV). This applies to around 150 people.
The new visa conditions apply to CPVV holders who:
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By 27 February 2023, the median wage, currently NZD $27.76 an hour, will increase to NZD $29.66. This affects the pay requirements for an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and other visas.
All wage thresholds indexed to the median wage will also be updated. This includes the Accredited Employer Visa (AEWV), occupations covered by sector agreements, and residence visa categories. For the AEWV, migrants must meet the wage threshold in force at the time they apply for their visa. This means that if the wage threshold increases between the job check being approved and the migrant applying for the visa, the migrant may need to meet a higher wage threshold than was approved in the job check pay range. For example, an employer is granted a job check on 1 November 2022 based on the current median wage of $27.76.
Residence visa categories and pathways with median wage-related criteria will also be updated. This includes the Green List and Highly Paid pathways, the Skilled Migrant Category and the Parent Category. Previously, wage thresholds were updated regularly, but not always at the same time each year. Starting this year, there will be a standard process where the median wage is adopted in immigration instructions in February. This will be based on the June rate published by Stats NZ the previous year. With ample lead time, individuals can be ready and informed when the changes occur. The median wage calculator will also be updated. Tourism and hospitality median wage exception Many tourism and hospitality roles have also been provided an exemption to the median wage threshold under the AEWV, with a lower wage threshold of $25 an hour until April 2023. This is a temporary exception that recognises these sectors have been hit hard by Covid-19. The Government is continuing to support the industry and has decided to transition away from the exemption to the median wage threshold in two stages.
Changes have been made to the General Instructions for the order of processing visa applications to reflect previously announced prioritisation of 2021 Resident Visa families and Green List medical professionals. The layout of the General Instructions have also been simplified without any substantive change to who is prioritised. The changes are:
This change was effective on and after 22 December 2022. Paul Phiri, a British resident of Malawian descent and his family were expecting to reunite in New Zealand for Christmas from their home in Basingstoke, England. Unfortunately, however, due to the unavailability of visa-free travel for citizens holding passports from Malawi - Mr. Phiri's country of citizenship - processing delays on a visitor’s visa application meant the family almost missed out on celebrating together.
While his wife and children are British passport holders, Mr Phiri is a Malawi citizen. Immigration New Zealand only permits visa-free travel from 60 countries with NZETA, and Malawi is not included. Mr Phiri had to apply for a visitor visa which he submitted on November 3, 2022. Despite preparing for their family’s imminent journey, Phiri was shocked when the wait time to receive was estimated to be extended to 55 days from what was notified to him upon his application, which was 13 days. The website also informed that they were prioritizing August applications at the time, leaving him with no choice but patience. Phiri found himself in a difficult situation. He was unable to take advantage of streamlined rules for those with British passports like some members of his family could, all hope seemed lost until Phiri's brother-in-law Rory O'Sullivan stepped up and fought for him by sending a letter advocating on Phiri’s behalf directly to New Zealand Immigration Minister Michael Wood. Miraculously, his visa was approved about eight hours before they were due to fly. Immigration New Zealand has been grappling with a surge of visa applications over the past year, leading to processing times being extended. Acting general manager border and visa operations Sarah Clifford reported that since visitor visa applications opened on July 31st 2022, there have been more than 140 thousand applications, where 104,000 have been approved and 28,000 still pending. She added that while Mr Phiri’s request for escalation was declined in December, they still managed to get his visa processed before their flight. Clifford noted that improvements are being made every day at INZ towards efficient processing times. Source - https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/immigration/130939060/delays-at-immigration-new-zealand-almost-cost-man-christmas-with-kiwi-family Are you planning to travel or move to New Zealand? If so, you know that navigating INZ’s complex visa process can be challenging and is often filled with uncertainty. Well, it has just become even more problematic as the recent burst of visa scams in India has made it more difficult for those without legal knowledge to identify real visas from fake ones. It seems their tricks are becoming increasingly sophisticated as they have recently taken to posing as providers of Section 61 cases, bringing them an unavoidable sense of urgency. Those who require such services could be particularly in danger, especially if money is requested upfront by these malicious fraudsters. The only way to combat these scammers is by staying vigilant and alerting friends and family members when suspicious activity arises. With enough information and precautions, this alarming new trend can be kept in check. Previous blogs about this scam:
New Zealand will soon be introducing a brand new, digital system for all incoming travellers. Travellers coming by air and sea can look forward to using this “New Zealand Traveller Declaration”, which was first tested out last year when our borders reopened - it furnished visitors with important information regarding Covid-19 safety protocols.
Customs is taking off with a plan to revolutionize how travellers access New Zealand. By June 30, 2023 the NZ Traveller Declaration system will be replaced by an innovative online platform that promises improved ease and efficiency of travel entry into New Zealand. Last year, globetrotters first tasted the New Zealand Traveller Declaration. Travellers were able to save or print a QR code known as the NZT Pass and present the same to border officials. The latest update to the travel pass will ask people to provide a comprehensive range of customs and biosecurity information as well as possible health risk assessments. Before take off, travellers are to fill out the form securely online using their device. However, customs is working to make sure passengers can access wi-fi while they are already travelling. To ensure a smooth entry experience into New Zealand, travelers will be provided with alternative methods to submit their declarations upon arrival if they are unable to do so through digital means. Sources: https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/130901962/the-big-change-coming-to-international-travel-this-year https://www.travellerdeclaration.govt.nz/ As the Christmas season approached, Russian Natalia Makutina and her daughter Maria were looking forward to a joyous reunion with her pregnant daughter Anastasia and her son-in-law Richard Cable in Whanganui. To make their travel plans happen, she and Maria applied for visitor visas on September 16th as Immigration NZ then promised speedy processing - 90% of applications would be processed within 44 working days or fewer.
Despite Immigration New Zealand's advice not to buy air tickets until the visa process was complete, Richard and his family were forced to purchase them on September 19 due to a lack of availability for their desired travel dates. They booked a flight for three months later, on December 10, with a stopover in Thailand and a scheduled arrival in Auckland on December 14. Natalia and Maria anxiously counted down the days until their departure date, yet when they inquired about the status of their National Security Check (NSC), much needed for visa approval, they were sadly informed that it wasn’t in Immigration NZ's hands, but a third party entity. With time quickly slipping away, an air of desperation filled the couple as they fled Russia without visas in hand. They took their flight to Thailand, hoping that their NZ visa would be issued within the next couple of days. However, INZ approved their visa on December 14, the day they were due to arrive in NZ and a day late after they had to reluctantly cancel their tickets to Auckland. Cable was in a state of exasperation as the visa processing time far exceeded what Immigration NZ had originally predicted. Despite INZ's knowledge that flights were booked for certain dates, visas could not be expedited and granted even just one or two days prior. Amidst the chaos of the pandemic, Immigration NZ is causing frustration for New Zealand’s 12-14,000 Russians with visa processing delays. The Agency's website advises that 90% of applications are processed within 60 working days - but this has been far from reality for many seeking to reunite with family during these uncertain times. Reports describe desperate pleas from people expecting their loved ones to arrive soon only to find out their visas have yet not come through and consequently having no choice but break down in anticipation of a long wait ahead. Immigration New Zealand's head of border and visa operations, Nicola Hogg, reported a considerable spike in applications. She confirmed that Natalia and Maria Makutina had applied for their visas on 19 September 2022 but further information was needed before processing could occur. After conducting the necessary third-party checks, their applications were finally approved over three months later - 14 December 2022; however it was advised they not travel until then as tickets should not be purchased without having first secured valid visas. Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/130811290/kiwi-says-visitor-visa-system-broken-after-3month-wait-for-russian-inlaws Changes have been made to operational instructions to remove the fee waiver that is applied to offshore Russian nationals who apply for a visitor or student visa.
This change is effective on and after 2 December 2022. Changes have also been made to operational instructions to:
These changes are effective on and after 21 December 2022. It has been an unprecedented period for healthcare providers and workers, as medical professions become increasingly in demand during the global pandemic. As a result, NZ is committed to providing more skilled professionals for their health sector and therefore a decision has been made to prioritise 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications from Green List medical professionals to meet the demand for a number of skilled roles in the health sector. This move provides crucial additional support to ensure that there are enough quality healthcare providers and workers throughout the country. Green List medical professionals who applied via the ‘Skilled’ and ‘Scarce’ streams of 2021RV will be prioritised when their application reaches the ‘under assessment’ stage. They do not need to take any further action regarding their application. Updating application occupationGreen List medical professionals who applied for 2021RV via the ‘Settled’ stream are also able to have their applications prioritised.
Changes have been made to immigration instructions in relation to medical roles on the Green List.
These changes:
These changes are effective on and after 15 December 2022. |