Over The Rainbow
At some point in the last two years and in large part thanks to Covid, we seem to have adopted a colour-coding approach to almost everything - whether it be Covid traffic light settings to tell us all to go, slow down or lock ourselves indoors or the newly minted “Green List” of current temporary Work Visa policy - colours are in and plain language explanations are out.
It is however INZ’s “Green List” which is the star of this post and getting to the bottom of what this list actually is, how it works and how it links to our current immigration “rebalance” as the borders open up to offshore workers.
Putting aside the fact it is called a green list and the question as to where the other coloured lists might be hiding, this new system does in fact hold some real opportunities for people considering a permanent move to New Zealand. Whilst it is not an endless list of all jobs available, it is a list of highly sought after roles that offers applicants a potential pathway to Residence as well as more streamlined Work Visa process. We shall explore what this list is, and how for many of you reading this, it signals a good option to pursue a new life in NZ, given the current demand for these particular skills.
The Green list, announced in May but only made operational as of 04 July, is a list of occupations that the Government has deemed to be of critical importance to the reopening of our borders and as such form the first tranche of priority applications. Consisting of a number of roles in healthcare, construction & engineering, ICT and trades it covers a selection of jobs that are in hot demand with a very short (mostly non-existent) supply of local candidates. The list is further broken down in to two parts - those with a fast-track to Residence and those with a two-year pathway to Residence.
The fast-track to Residence, doesnt necessarily mean that Residence will be approved quickly it simply means that an applicant with a job offer that meets the criteria on the Green List group can apply for Residence from September 2022. The formal rules for this Residence option haven’t yet been released, but given the current backlogs with INZ and the work that they have to tackle as borders do open, I am not expecting these applications to be approved in anything less than six to nine months. The benefit here is not in the speed of processing but in the speed in which an applicant can apply.
In theory an applicant offshore who secures the right job offer on the Green List, fast-track could secure a Work Visa now, apply for Residence some time in September (when the Residence category opens) and then be approved mid to late 2023 (assuming my timeframe predictions are right). So the ‘fast’ in fast-track refers to the shorter duration between securing the job and temporary Work Visa and then being able to apply for Residence. Potentially a really good option for those who make the cut in terms of their skills and employability here.
The other part of the Green List (the non-fast track roles) can still apply for Residence but can only do so, after having worked in the job they have secured for a period of two years. This is no different to the previous “Work to Residence” category that existed for applicants on the Long Term Skill Shortage List (a Green List by another name).
For both sets of jobs (that is all jobs on the Green List) there is no requirement for an employer to prove that there is a shortage of local applicants (advertising) however there are specific requirements in terms of salary and qualifications for most of these roles. As is always the case the devil is in the detail and so it pays to make sure that the job offer meets the requirements but also you as the applicant are qualified for the temporary Visa now and Residence in the future.
There has been considerable debate recently as to why Nurses (who we need urgently) are in the two-year pathway as opposed to the fast-track queue and plenty of reasons offered for this, most of which dont hold much water. However for many people, working here for two years and then being able to apply for Residence without any points test (which is the alternative option, discussed below) will actually serve as a significant advantage.
There will also be a potential pathway for Residence offered to anyone who earns twice the median salary (currently $27.76 per hour) which will require two years of working in New Zealand in that role, however there will be no restrictions on the types of occupations that qualify - also opening the door to a wide number of potential applicants, not currently on the Green List. This recognises that the higher the salary, generally the greater the degree of skill or specialisation and whilst that is a debatable point, has been part of this Governments focus on salary as proxy for skills within the immigration process.
For anyone in the ICT, Construction, Engineering, Healthcare, Education or Trades sector the Green-List poses a real opportunity to not only secure a temporary Work Visa to get to New Zealand in the very near future but a potential pathway to Residence as well (potentially for some a very quick one).
Work Visas are also available to those not on the Green-List or earning less than twice the median (as long as it is over $27.76 per hour or the minimums required under sector agreements for hospitality, trades and care workers) provided that the New Zealand employer has become Accredited (all employers must be Accredited to support any applicant in any role, Green-List included) and that a labour market shortage exists in NZ, which in the current labour market shouldnt be too hard to prove. So if you secure a job here, being paid the right amount and even if it is not on the Green-List there is still a temporary Visa pathway available.
For those not on the Green-List but able to secure a job with an Accredited employer, the pathway to Residence remains a little elusive, however the Skilled Migrant Category (points system) is due to be restarted within the next two to three months and that will serve as the option for all other occupations and applicants. What will change in the Skilled Migrant Category is yet to be seen, however one would have to hope that policy makers are factoring in the massive level of demand for skills across a wide range of industries. It will of course require a certain level of skill and for applicants to meet a specific threshold and from previously leaked information there is a strong suggestion that salary, registration and qualifications will play a leading role.
If you are considering a move to New Zealand and have been watching things unfold here, then the best place to start is with an assessment of what your options might be, where you might fit within this rainbow of lists and whether or not you have the right mix of factors to make it here. Considering the number of jobs available and the increasing demand from employers, the timing couldn’t be better.
Contact us today to find out if somewhere over the rainbow a new life in New Zealand could be wait for you.
