Immigration Update – AEWV Work Visa Extensions
Immigration New Zealand has reneged on prior announcements and is not offering extensions to AEWV Work Visas to five years to everyone who holds a work visa.
Extensions are now limited to only some applicants.
They are also not really extensions.
The policy changes are complicated and very messy. I will try to simplify the details below. Hold your hat, as it’s a bit involved and I will try to whip through the details as quickly as I can.
Skill Level and ANZSCO
Skill level assessment of occupations is back as a key determinant, with ANZSCO returning as the occupational classification system of choice.
Firstly, how long you can get your AEWV Work Visa extended to depends on the skill level of your job under ANZSCO.
Professional jobs are skill level 1 – 2. Trades jobs are generally skill level 3.
Caregiving, transport sector work, labouring, hospitality and tourism are generally skill level 4 -5.
Office jobs vary, from skill level 2 – 4, depending on the job. IT jobs are generally skill level 1 – 3.
Duration of visa
Duration of visa depends on your skill level and salary/wage rate.
- If you have a skill level 1 – 3 role and you are paid $29.66/hr or more, then you can get an extension for a maximum stay of 5 years on your work visa.
- If you have a skill level 4 – 5 role, but you are paid $29.66/hr, then you can still get an extension for a maximum stay of 5 years on your work visa, as long as you applied for your work visa between 23 June 2023 and 6 April 2024. It’s very specific.
- If you have a Skill Level 4 – 5 role and came to New Zealand earning below $29.66/hr, but you are now being paid $29.66/hr or more, but you applied for the work visa before 23 June 2023, then unfortunately you can only get an extension for 1 more year, staying for a maximum of three years in total on your work visa.
I hope that is clear so far.
- If you are a caregiver, earning $28.25/hr or more, then you can get a work visa for up to 5 years now. If earning below, then only 3 years.
- If you are a bus driver, please contact me as it’s too complicated to explain in a post! I’ll tell you in person.
Overall Key points –
- INZ will require new applications from everyone to ‘extend’ their visas. This means the applications are not actually extensions, but rather new applications.
- Application fees are $750 per work visa application.
- As long as heath and character requirements were met for the previous work visa application, these to do not need to be completed again.
- Evidence of 3 years of relevant work experience or qualification equivalent to NZQF Level 4 qualification (with IQA result) is required to show the applicant is skilled for the role. This can be waived if it was assessed in the prior application.
- For applicants earning $29.66/hr or more, with a skill level 1-3 role;
- You no not need the employer to seek a new Job Check – the existing one can be re-used, with the employer sending a Job Check Token Request again
- You do not need to provide an English test result in support of the application
- You can be granted the balance of 5 years
- Accompanying family visas will also be new applications with associated application fees.
- For applicants earning below $29.66/hr who are in a skill level 1-3 role;
- You will need to be offered $29.66/hr or more to get an extension
- You can only get an extension for 1 year more
- The employer needs to seek a new Job Check
- You do not need to provide an English test result in support of the application
- You can be granted the balance of 5 years
- For applicants earning below $29.66/hr who are in a skill level 1-3 role;
- You will need to be offered $29.66/hr or more to get an extension
- You can only get an extension for 1 year more
- The employer needs to seek a new Job Check
- You do not need to provide an English test result in support of the application e.g. IELTS, or PTE Academic
- You must show at least 3 years of relevant experience or a Level 4 qualification (with IQA result)
- Accompanying family visas will also be new visa applications
Why the changes
“So, you know, we’ve thought about it quite carefully”
RNZ Erica Stanford, Minister of Immigration
While she is turning the tap down for now, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says the reverse might be the case next year, depending on how the economy goes
These changes are a perfect example of how Immigration New Zealand gets itself tied in knots. They are a knee jerk reaction to the rising unemployment and worsening economy.
While tossing out international workers at the first sign of trouble might be an approach that finds many supporters in the voting public, it is very short-term thinking for the economy. People are not liquid, Immigration is not really a tap that can be turned on and off. The recent pandemic has shown us how reliant New Zealand really is international people to work and maintain our economy.
Recent trends in migration have been predominantly lower skilled workers coming in as those are the roles that employers have been struggling to fill. This reflects our demographic shift, and the large number of local people who are unfit or unwilling to work in lower skilled roles.
There fraud that came in due to the gaps policy failures of the Employer Accreditation scheme should not be conflated into a need to push out all lower skilled workers. This would be a very heavy handed approach.
There are structural changes needed to get New Zealanders who have been out of the workforce long-term into the workforce again. That’s another issue.
To force employers to lose the international staff they have brought in punishes employers who have invested in the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme and settled their international talent into NZ. It also punishes international people who have sacrificed a lot to come here, and worked hard to make a difference once they’ve arrived.
We should treat people who are willing to come here and join our society awith dignity and respect for hard work and contributions.
After all, as COVID show, it is international people who are keeping our country running.