Immigration New Zealand (INZ) have recently completed a review of the Essential Skills in Demand Lists. These lists specify occupations that allow migrants to easily secure a temporary work visa without their proposed employer being required to demonstrate that there are no suitably qualified and/or experienced New Zealand citizens or residents available or trainable for the position on offer.
Only one occupation has been added to the list, being a registered nurse (mental health), although a number of occupations have been removed from the list. These occupations are:
- Audiologist;
- Dietician;
- Dispensing Optician;
- Hospital Pharmacist;
- Industrial Pharmacist;
- Internal Auditor;
- Medical Diagnostic Radiographer;
- Midwife;
- Occupational Therapist;
- Osteopath;
- Retail Pharmacist;
- Conductive Education Practitioner;
- Speech Language Therapist; and
- Urban and Regional Planner.
The changes to the Essential Skills in Demand Lists come into effect on 1 March 2014. Therefore, any migrant who is looking to apply for a temporary visa in any of the occupations that have been removed, will need to ensure that the employer is able to demonstrate that they have made a genuine attempt to locate a suitable New Zealand citizen or resident for the position offered before submitting a temporary work visa application.
REVIEW OF CANTERBURY SKILLS SHORTAGE LIST
INZ has also recently announced changes to the Canterbury Skills Shortage List (CSSL) with immediate effect. One occupation has been removed from the CSSL (Urban and Regional Planner), although four occupations have been added:
- Truck Driver (general);
- Welder;
- Fitter – Welder; and
- Metal Fabricator.
The additions to the CSSL are interesting, and provide a convenient way for migrants to secure temporary visas to travel to New Zealand in the Canterbury region without an employer being required to demonstrate that there are no New Zealand citizens or residents available or readily trainable for the position on offer. The removal from the CSSL is also interesting (Urban and Regional Planner), and combined with the type of additions to the CSSL really do signal a change in focus for the recovery of the Canterbury region from planning to implementation, which we are seeing first hand on the ground.
The next review of the CSSL is expected to be completed on or around June 2014.
For further information or assistance with emigration please contact Mark Williams of Lane Neave Lawyers on + 64 3 3793 720 or email [email protected].