New Zealand has tightened its visa rules related to employment. Issuing a statement on Sunday, the New Zealand government said it was making immediate changes to its employment visa program.
New Zealand has taken this decision due to the record arrival of migrants last year. The government described this level as “unsustainable” and cannot be sustained.
Now New Zealand will call outsiders for most of the jobs for which there is a skills shortage in the country.
What changes were made in the visa rules?
Changes New Zealand has made to visa rules include making English language proficiency mandatory even for low-skilled jobs and setting a minimum skill and experience threshold for most employment visas.
Additionally, the maximum continuous stay for low-skilled jobs has been reduced from 5 years to 3 years. This means low-skilled migrants will only be able to stay in New Zealand for a maximum of 3 years at a time.
1.73% migrants came to New Zealand in 2023
In New Zealand, with a population of 51 lakh, there has been a sharp increase in the number of migrants after the pandemic and about 1.73 lakh migrants came to New Zealand in 2023.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Erica Stanford said, “The government is focused on attracting high-skilled immigrants to fill areas where there are skills shortages. We need to make sure New Zealanders are at the forefront of those jobs , where there is no shortage of skills.”
