Changes to Essential Skills Work Visas (July 2021)

On 19 July 2021, Immigration New Zealand made changes to Essential Skills visas in a bid to “streamline application processing and increase visa duration”. The main changes are:

·        Increasing the maximum duration of an Essential Skills visa for jobs paid below the median wage from 12 to 24 months

·        Removing the labour market test (including a Skills Match Report) requirement for those applying for Essential Skills Work Visas to remain working in their current full time employment and they are not changing their role, employer or region of work.

To be eligible for this (the removal of the labour market test and evidence requirements), the applicant must hold one of the following visas:

·        Any type of work visa (including a Working Holiday Visa)

·        A student visa that has unlimited work rights (i.e. to study Masters or PhD degree)

·        A Critical Purpose visitor visa granted as a critical health worker, or granted for more than six months as an ‘other critical worker’.

Labour market tests will still be required from employers for vacant roles, or where the worker will change the region they work in for the employer (this means if a worker changes employer or role or region, then their employer will be required to complete a labour market test). However, if the worker’s occupation is listed on one of Immigration New Zealand’s skills shortage lists and the applicant meets the requirements for qualifications or experience, then a labour market test is not required.