New Zealand: New Indefinite Residence Pathways under the Accredited Employer Work Visa Program Announced
August 8, 2022
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At a Glance
The New Zealand government has announced three new pathways to indefinite residence under the Accredited Employer Work Visa program:
- The Straight to Residence pathway, for applicants whose nominated occupations are on tier 1 of the Green List, will become available on September 5, 2022;
- The Work to Residence pathway, for remaining Green List nominated occupations, will become available on September 29, 2023; and
- The Highly Paid pathway, for those with roles earning over 200% of the median wage; will become available on September 29, 2023.
Eligible applicants will benefit from having an employer-sponsored pathway to residence as the former Talent (Accredited Employer) Work to Residence visa program is now permanently closed, and the current pathway for independent migrants (under the Skilled Migrant Category) is currently suspended.
The situation
The New Zealand government has introduced three new pathways for foreign nationals that will allow them to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely under the newly-launched Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) program.
A closer look
Foreign nationals must meet general criteria including being under the age of 55, meeting English requirements, having good health and character, and holding an employment offer with an Accredited Employer in New Zealand. Pathway specific requirements are as follows:
| NEW PATHWAY | DETAILS | IMPACT |
| Straight to Residence pathway |
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| Work to Residence pathway |
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| Highly Paid pathway |
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Background
- Rebalancing of the immigration system. The New Zealand government continues the rebalancing and streamlining of its immigration rules following the long-awaited launch of the new AEWV program in July 2022, which consolidated several work visa applications into one.
- Attracting highly skilled foreign nationals. The New Zealand government continues to attract experienced, high-value foreign nationals to bring their skills to New Zealand. Recently, the New Zealand government introduced a new visa program for high-value investors that will open in September 2022.
- Reinstatement of pathways to residence. The new visas are intended to complement the Skilled Migrant Category which is currently suspended while the New Zealand government continues its Immigration Rebalance program.
Looking ahead
The New Zealand government will likely continue to introduce new visa pathways to attract highly skilled foreign nationals with specific skills that will complement specific businesses and industries in New Zealand in line with the government’s goal of bringing more active foreign national investment into the country.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
