Citizen Advice Bureu - Monthly Comumn
The upcoming immigration changes have been met with relief by most employers and employees in Queenstown. A lower required pay rate means that employers will likely be able to commit to giving more work visas, and employees will see more opportunities to stay in the country with an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV).
The maximum stay and length of the visas are now clear. ANZSCO levels 4 or 5 are now three years, while ANZSCO levels 1 to 3 are five years. After that time, migrants must leave the country for at least one year unless they qualify for residency.
However, the downsides of these changes seem to affect employees more than the employers.
Will wages be lower?
Immigration states: “Employers will however, still be expected to pay migrant workers on par with their New Zealand counterparts (the New Zealand market rate)”.
However, there are no clear guidelines on how that will be calculated or enforced. This could mean that some employers may reduce their pay, making it harder for migrants to afford cost of living in an already expensive town.
Things to remember:
The transitional period can be tough, so be prepared for some bad days – don’t be afraid to reach out to a friend or a doctor if you’re feeling low.
Will it be harder to meet residency requirements?
For those applying through the most common residency pathway, the Skilled Migrant Category, points are awarded for skilled work experience. To claim these points, migrants must earn at least the median wage throughout the skilled work experience period. The challenge? The median wage will be $33.56 per hour.
This means that while wages for migrants may decrease, they will still need to meet the median wage requirement to claim points for their residency. Achieving this will be much harder, given that the minimum wage is $23.50 and that most sectors’ market rate is below the median wage.
Thus, while obtaining a work visa may now be easier, securing residency will become much more difficult.
What does this mean for migrants?
If a migrant’s salary is below the median $33.56, there will be very few pathways to stay in New Zealand beyond five years.
These factors may discourage migrants looking for a stable future in New Zealand. Instead, they might consider other countries that offer easier pathways to permanent residency.
Considering all the above, will these changes benefit our community?
As a migrant myself, would I have chosen to build a new life in a country where long-term residency seems nearly impossible?
