ESSENTIAL NOTES
- For partners of students pursuing level 7 or 8 qualifications as listed in the Green List, New Zealand has relaxed work visa regulations.
- Conversely, the government has tightened regulations for certain groups of applicants seeking low-skilled positions under level 4 and level 5 positions.
- More stringent visa regulations have reportedly been implemented in response to “unsustainable migration.”
As per the official website of immigration to the country, work visa criteria for partners of specific types of overseas students have been loosened in New Zealand.
More precisely, according to Divine E-Visas, spouses of students pursuing level 7 or 8 qualifications as listed in the Green List are now able to apply for a work visa with flexible terms.
“We have updated the Green List with the main Bachelor degrees and Bachelor Honors qualifications that lead to registration for certain occupations. These are occupations that have registration as a requirement instead of New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) qualifications.” New Zealand Immigration website..
In the meanwhile, qualifying spouses’ dependent school-age children may be regarded as domestic pupils.
This implies that kids can get free school tuition by applying for a Dependent Child Student Visa. Anybody whose spouse is in possession of a Student Work Visa is subject to this policy.
Tougher Laws Are Enacted in New Zealand for Specific Worker Groups
Particular worker types of Accredited Employer Work visa (AEWV) are no longer eligible to assist their partner’s application for a Partner of a Student Work Visa, however persons holding student visas studying at the aforementioned levels can still do so.
This is due to the fact that New Zealand has recently tightened its work visa regulations to prohibit people with an AEWV in occupations at levels 4 and 5 of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) without a pathway to residency from sponsoring applications for work, visitor, or student visas on behalf of their dependent children and partners.
The following categories of foreigners will not be impacted by the June 26 modification, though:
Nonetheless, the following immigrant groups will be impacted by the policy, which went into force on June 26:
- Individuals with AEWV ANZSCO level 4 and 5 roles that have a pathway to residency, such as the Green List or sector agreements with residence pathways;
- Individuals making at least 1.5 times the average wage threshold for the Skilled Migrant Category.
- Individuals who already hold visas as dependent children or partners.
Tighter Work Visa Regulations Were Introduced in New Zealand to Address "Unsustainable Migration"
Prior to the aforementioned regulations, New Zealand tightened work visa requirements for applicants seeking level 4 and level 5 positions, which are low-skilled employment. Such steps have been implemented to address the unsustainable migration, as authorities have previously said.
But because there are shortages in this position, New Zealand aims to draw in and keep highly skilled international personnel, notably secondary teachers.
Between January and March of 2024, more than a million people arrived in New Zealand.
According to government data, almost one million people landed in New Zealand in the first three months of 2024.
The majority (602,404) came in on visiting visas, with the remainder entering on Australian (274,417), resident (158,867), and work (51,338) visas.
