New Zealand’s Immigration Minister, Erica Stanford, has unveiled immediate changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) program, aiming to better match immigration policies with economic needs and prevent migrant exploitation.
Stanford highlighted the government’s dedication to attracting and keeping highly qualified migrants, especially in sectors experiencing deficits such as secondary education.
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However, she stressed the importance of prioritizing New Zealanders for job opportunities where skills are abundant.
Recent migration data from 2023 highlighted the urgency of these adjustments, with a near-record influx of almost 173K non-New Zealand citizens.
The proposed modifications aim to refine the AEWV scheme by assessing the local labour market more effectively and safeguarding the interests of domestic workers.
Key changes include the introduction of English language requirements for low-skilled roles at levels 4 and 5, alongside minimum skill and work experience criteria.
Employers seeking to fill these positions must now engage with Work and Income before migrant approvals, and the maximum continuous stay for such roles will be reduced from 5 to 3 years.
Furthermore, the franchisee accreditation category will be abolished, requiring businesses to adhere to standard, high-volume, or triangular employment accreditation processes for hiring overseas workers.
These adjustments align with recommendations from the recent Bestwick review, which identified systemic issues within the AEWV procedures and aim to enhance the scheme’s integrity while curbing migrant exploitation.