Thursday, May 12, 2022

New Zealand - Fully open border and immigration changes speed up economic growth

  • Border fully open two months early from 11:59pm 31 July
  • Significantly simplified immigration processes that provide faster processing for businesses
  • New Green List that includes over 85 hard to fill roles created to attract and retain high-skilled workers to fill skill shortages
  • Green List will provide streamlined and prioritised pathway to residency incentivising high skilled healthcare, engineers, trade and tech sector workers to relocate to New Zealand long term
  • Visa extensions for around 20,000 migrants already in New Zealand to ensure skilled workers stay in country
  • New sector specific agreements, to help industries transition from a reliance on low-wage, low skill migrant labour, including additional measures to support the rebuild of our tourism sector
  • Cruise ships able to return with the opening of the maritime border from 31 July
  • Full resumption of international education from 31 July
  • Apprenticeship Boost extended to the end of 2023, supporting an extra 38,000 New Zealanders into trades
  • Online visitor visa applications reopen to Pacific Island Forum countries (excluding Australia) from 16 May

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today announced a major package of reforms, which include an early opening of New Zealand’s border and a simplification of immigration settings, to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up the economic recovery from COVID-19.

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