The Skilled Migrant Category Residence pathway has traditionally been New Zealand’s main residence visa category based on skills and employment.   The key proposal is to introduce a new, simplified points system.  The new system will create a clear skill threshold for residence but will still offer several ways for people to demonstrate their skill level.

Applicants must have at least 6 points to be eligible, this can be made up of:

3 to 6 points based on either professional registration, qualifications or income.  People can choose the skill category that offers the most points based on their circumstances; and

1 point per year of working in New Zealand in a skilled job, up to a maximum of 3 points.

All applicants must have a job, or a job offer in New Zealand and be paid at least the median wage.

No specific date for these changes has yet been announced.  If you believe that the impending changes may affect your eligibility to apply for residence, we encourage you to apply now if you presently meet the residence threshold.

Contact GHS for further information.

The post Change is Coming appeared first on Global Health Source.

Partners of workers in Green List occupations will retain the right to an open work visa however if you have a job offer in an occupation not on the Green List, NOW is the time to make the move if you would like your partner to secure working rights immediately.

The post New Zealand Immigration Update appeared first on Global Health Source.

INZ is also changing its requirements to submit a residence application to allow English language test results that are more than 2 years old as evidence of an acceptable standard of English.

The post EOIs, NZQAs and English Language Testing Update appeared first on Global Health Source.

The exceptions to this policy change are if the AEWV holder meets Green List requirements or earns at least double the median wage (currently $55.52 hourly). Radiologists, radiographers, sonographers, radiation therapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, audiologists, registered nurses and midwives will therefore all still be able to support their partners in an Open Partnership Visa.

These professions will also automatically qualify for residence in 24 months.

Unfortunately, Physiotherapists and Speech Pathologists did not make the cut and their partners will either need to initially travel on a Visitor Visa or secure their own Accredited Employer Work Visas to arrive on shore.

Like many others, we eagerly await the re-opening of the Skilled Migrant Residence pathway to determine exactly what residence pathways remain available to these occupations.

The post New Zealand Update appeared first on Global Health Source.

To be eligible for the straight to residence program, you will need to secure a role and meet both the required qualification level and minimum salary requirements.

The first step to ascertaining whether you would be successful in securing a role in NZ would be to determine whether you will successfully gain membership with Engineering NZ.  At present this is not compulsory how it will greatly improve your chances of securing work in NZ and indicates a commitment on your part for potential employers.  There is also a proposal for the introduction of a new registration and licensing regime for engineers in New Zealand.  Below are two links.  Engineering NZ also has job advertising under the Engineering Tools dropdown menu for your perusal.

https://www.engineeringnz.org/join-us/chartered-member/get-chartered/

https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/a-new-registration-and-licensing-regime-for-engineers/

If you would like further information on this pathway to residence please contact GHS today.

The post CALLING ALL ENGINEERS! appeared first on Global Health Source.

Have you noticed a rise in your cost of living?

New Zealand workers have experienced their biggest pay hike on record. Stats NZ figures show median weekly earnings from wages and salaries jumped by a staggering 8.8 percent in the June year, the largest annual increase since records began in 1998 and well ahead of inflation at 7.3 percent.

What are you waiting for?

Ask GHS about working in New Zealand. ?

The post The New Zealand Pay Hike appeared first on Global Health Source.

With the closure of the 2021 Residence Visa pathway on 31 July 2022, Immigration New Zealand have introduced three new residence visa categories.

• Green List Straight to Residence
• Green List Work to Residence
• Highly Paid Residence Pathway.

The three resident categories require you to:

• be 55 years old or younger
• meet English language requirements,
• meet standard health and character requirements for residence, and
• have been offered a job with an accredited employer.

The two Green List resident categories also require you to

• have been offered a full-time role (at least 30 hours a week),
• have a Green List job, and
• meet the requirements of that Green List job.

Green List Straight to Residence

The Green List Straight to Residence pathway also requires that your employment offer must:

• be at least 12 months in duration; or
• be a contract or contracts for services totalling at least six months.

Green List Straight to Residence applicants can either come to New Zealand on a work visa and apply for residence from 5 September 2022 or they can apply from outside of New Zealand.

Green List Work to Residence

Green List Work to Residence applicants must demonstrate they have had acceptable work in a Green List occupation for at least 24 months in the 30 month period before the resident visa application is made. This can be accrued from 29 September 2021 and applications will be accepted from September 2023.

Highly Paid Pathway to Residence

The Highly Paid Pathway to Residence requires applicants to demonstrate that they have worked in an occupation earning at least twice the median wage for at least 24 months in the 30 month period before a resident visa application is made.  This can be accrued from 29 September 2021 and applications will be accepted from September 2023.

New Residence Costs from 31 July 2022

Immigration New Zealand will increase residence category application prices from 31 July 2022:

• Band A: Lodged on shore in NZ: NZD $4290
• Band B: Lodged from within Pacific Island countries: NZD$4020
• Band C: Lodged from elsewhere in the world: NZD$4890.

No announcement has been made regarding the re-opening of selections from the Skilled Migrant Category EOI pool and SMC Residence Visa applications.

The post New Zealand Residence Visa Update appeared first on Global Health Source.

As borders open and the global travelling community return to the skies a growing number of people are refused travel due to presenting passports that have even the smallest of imperfections.

Passport damage includes:

• Water damage
• Faded pages
• Stained pages
• Missing pages
• Loose binding or folded pages
• Tearing on the cover or any pages (even if it does not interfere with the information on the page)
• Damage to the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip.

Put simply, if your passport has sustained any such damage, then it should be replaced immediately as it will be invalid for travel.

Even if your home country allows you to depart on a damaged passport there is a very real likelihood that your destination country will refuse to accept your damaged passport on arrival and will immediately return you to your country of origin.

They will not permit you entry to obtain a new passport.

It usually takes several weeks for a passport application to be approved. In most cases that is between 6 and 8 weeks but it could take longer.  In some instances, it is possible to expedite the process in urgent cases by paying an extra service fee, but remember that depends on the issuing government.

Don’t take any chances. 

Keep your passport safe, dry, flat and in a secure location at all times.

#passports #passportdamage #keepyourpassportsafe #immigrationadvice #alliedhealthrecruitmentagency #alliedhealthrecruitment #sonography #radiography #radiologists #physiotherapy #occupationaltherapy #podiatry #speechpathology #travel

The post DAMAGED PASSPORTS appeared first on Global Health Source.

To be eligible for the fee exemption, you must:

• have held an accreditation under Talent (Accredited Employer) scheme on 23 May 2022, and
• have at least 6 months validity remaining on your accreditation period, meaning your accreditation was due to expire on or after 23 November 2022.

The fee exemption can only be applied for your first application for accreditation under the AEWV policy. The application must be made on or before 23 November 2022.  If you wish to employ migrants after 3 July you will need to be accredited under the new system so we would encourage you to apply now for a seamless transition.

The post Accredited Employer Work Visa: Employer Update appeared first on Global Health Source.

From 4 July 2022 vaccinated Accredited Employer Work Visa holders can enter New Zealand.

From 31 July 2022 all visa categories including visitor and student visas will re-open for applications for travellers from anywhere in the world.  You must be vaccinated to enter New Zealand, and have evidence of a negative Covid-19 test before your first international flight.

After you enter New Zealand you must do 2 rapid antigen tests (RATs) on Day 0/1 and Day 5/6 and declare your results. Children under 6 months do not need to be tested.

All positive RATs must be registered and followed up with a PCR test.

The post New Zealand Update appeared first on Global Health Source.