The Government has made announcements today that will come into effect in 2025.
These are largely in response to the feedback given by industry to the Minister in the recent rounds of industry consultation. The removal of the median wage for work visas, in particular, has long been signalled as being on the radar as it had created artificial distortions in the labour market.
Whilst we do not have all the detailed instructions yet, we list the main changes below. Further detail and an implementation date will be released in early 2025.
From 27 January 2025:
- Construction sector businesses will no longer be required to have 35% of their workforce as New Zealanders– this percentage has dropped to 15 percent.
- Accredited employers will no longer need to complete Employment New Zealand’s online modules or offer migrants paid time to do these.
In March 2025:
- Wage thresholds for all AEWV roles will be removed but AEWV employees will still have to earn a market rate for their position and location.
- Importantly, there are no changes to the wages that AEWV workers must earn to apply for residence.
- Applicants will need to provide evidence of 2 years of relevant work experience, instead of the current 3 years. This appears to relate to the minimum skills threshold, although this has not been clearly specified in the announcement.
- The AEWV duration for new migrants in a lower-skilled role will increase from 2 to 3 years. Those those currently on two-year visas will still be able to apply for a further year.
- AEWV applicants will need to earn at least NZ$55,844 a year to bring children to New Zealand whilst other criteria appear to remain unchanged.
- Employers still need to advertise positions that are not exempt from advertising.
- WINZ listings for lower-skilled roles: Whilst employers will still need to declare in good faith that they have advertised with Work and Income, and interviewed appropriate candidates, they will no longer have to provide evidence of engagement with Work and Income in their Job Check. We assume case officers could still ask for this evidence if they see fit.
Other changes for later in the year:
- From April 2025, some work and student visa holders who apply for an AEWV can receive an Interim Visa that allows them to work while their AEWV application is in process
- A new Job Check process is targeted for mid-2025, aiming for more streamlining for low-risk employers and to improve processing timeframes.
- In November 2025, two new pathways for seasonal workers will be introduced. In the meantime, existing temporary seasonal pathways will remain in place.
Carol Wright
Licensed Immigration Adviser