CHANGES TO ESSENTIAL SKILLS WORK VISAS - 27 JULY 2020

What is an Essential Skills Work Visa?

To obtain an Essential Skills Work Visa, you must receive a skilled job offer from a New Zealand based employer. The employer must prove that no New Zealanders are available to fill the role. This allows the country’s work force to be boosted by highly skilled workers without disadvantaging New Zealand citizens or residents.

Currently, INZ are using job descriptions stipulated by ANZSCO and salary offered to determine the skill level of the visa -   low, mid or high.

Upcoming Changes

From July 27 2020, INZ will be implementing a median wage threshold to determine how long someone can stay in New Zealand on an Essential Skills work visa and their options to support family. The current median wage is $25.50

Less than the NZ median wage:

You can support your partner for a visitor’s visa; however, they can apply for their own work visa if they secure a job opportunity.

You can support visitor or student visas for dependent children, if you meet the minimum income threshold, which is currently NZD $43,322.76 or more a year.

The visa is for 6 months if you apply between 10 July 2020 to 10 January 2022

The maximum combined duration is 3 years. After that time, you will be subject to a stand down period of 12 months.

Employers need to provide Skills Match Reports (SMR) for below median wage jobs

At or above the median wage:

You can support a work or visitor visa for your partner, and visitor or student visas for dependent children.

You can be granted a visa for 3 years.

Employers will still need to show that they have made genuine attempts to hire New Zealanders, including advertising for the role and considering New Zealanders.

If you have any questions please contact our team.

You can also view INZ’s website for the original notice.