Key updates
Here’s an overview of recent updates to the immigration system. For full details, please visit the relevant pages on the INZ website.
29 August 2024
- A short-term exemption of the AEWV minimum skill requirement will apply for certain roles in meat and seafood processing, tourism and hospitality, and care, from 8 September 2024. The requirements in Job Check applications still need to be met. These changes are being introduced while long-term Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) changes are still being decided on by INZ.
- INZ is warning triangular employers not to place migrant workers with another triangular employer. This breaches employment agreements and immigration accreditation rules.
20 August 2024
- Guidelines for choosing the correct ANZSCO occupation for roles have been updated.
- Migrant high school leavers waiting on a family residence application will have the same part-time work rights as Year 12 and 13 students on a Dependent Child Student Visa. This starts from 1 October 2024. Eligible people already on a visitor visa on 1 October need to apply for a variation of conditions to receive these rights.
- Guidelines are now available on advertising for roles that require travel or that are based in more than one location.
15 August 2024
- Crew and passengers on foreign cargo ships will now require a newly introduced New Zealand electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before travelling here, from 1 April 2025.
- The Specific Purpose Work Visa has a new subcategory to help employers with seasonal peaks, who require short-term staffing solutions. Applications are open until 31 March 2025. See the INZ website for eligibility and employer obligations.
14 August 2024
- The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) cap is increasing by 1,250 taking it to a total of 20,750, along with some improvements to the scheme.
9 August 2024
- Higher visa charges (fees and levies) have been announced by the government, that will apply from 1 October 2024. You can review these new prices in our recent blog post.
8 August 2024
- INZ recently warned that they will be less lenient with timeframes when requesting missing documents or evidence for skilled residence visas. The standard timeframe for responses is 10 working days. If the required information isn’t provided on time, INZ may now decline an application, without providing a refund.
- On 24 July 2024, the Pacific Access Category and Samoan Quotas were drawn. One registration can include several family members, so the number of people granted residence will be higher than the registrations drawn.
1 August 2024
- Starting from 12 August, paper-based applications for Transit Visas will not be required, which will also remove the fees for submitting through a Visa Application Center. The Transit Visa waiver list will now include Fiji.
19 July 2024
- Some clarity has been given around the expiry and renewal of employer accreditation. On the day an employer’s accreditation expires, renewal applications made up until 23:59 (New Zealand Time) will be granted interim accreditation if eligible. Those who have not previously been granted interim accreditation but complied with this timing and meet requirements, have now had interim accreditation reinstated by INZ and had valid Job Tokens reinstated.
