An estimated 165,000 migrants currently in New Zealand may be eligible for a one-off, simplified pathway to residence in the coming months. 

It follows mounting criticism of the Government over its backlog for expressions of interest for the Skilled Migrant Category visa. The list has been frozen since April 2020. 

As of last month, the backlog stood at about 12,000 EOIs for those who are already in New Zealand. Meanwhile, there are about 1500 applications from people offshore. 

Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi on Thursday announced applications to get the 2021 Resident Visa would open in two phases: on December 1 and on March 1, 2022.

Faafoi said the “majority” of applications would be granted within a year of their category opening. 

Faafoi said Immigration NZ estimated 5000 health and aged care workers, about 9000 primary industry workers, and more than 800 teachers are thought to be eligible. 

“There are also about 15,000 construction and 12,000 manufacturing workers on relevant visa types, some of whom will be eligible for the one-off pathway,” he said.

The scheme is available to most work-related visa holders. These include Essential Skills, Work to Residence, and Post Study Work visas. Their immediate family members would also be eligible for residency under the scheme. 

Visitors, students, working holiday makers, and Recognised Seasonal Employer workers are not eligible. 

Visa holders who are eligible to apply would be contacted by Immigration NZ by the end of October with more information. 

To be eligible, a principal applicant must have been in New Zealand on September 29 and must hold or have applied for (and subsequently been granted) an eligible work visa. 

In addition, the principal applicant must meet one of the following:

• Have lived in New Zealand for three or more years, or
• Earn above the median wage ($27 per hour or more), or
• Work in a role on the Long Term Skill Shortage list, or
• Hold occupational registration and work in the health or education sector, or
• Work in personal care or other critical health worker roles, or
• Work in a specified role in the primary industries

The visa will also be available for those who enter New Zealand as critical workers, and their families, for roles six months or longer until July 31, 2022. Visa holders can also include their partners and dependents in their application.

From December 1, people who have submitted a Skilled Migrant Category or Residence from Work application can apply, as well as those with dependent children 17 years or older who currently have a skilled Migrant Category EOI submitted. 

From March 1, 2022, all other eligible applicants, including any others in the Skilled Migrant Category EOI pool, can apply. 

Faafoi said the visa would help give migrants certainty and allow New Zealand to retain talent. 

“These people have all played an important role in keeping our country moving over the last 18 months.”

However, he said employers must still “look for ways to build resilient workforces and to attract, train and retain local workers and reduce their reliance on low-skilled migrant labour”. 

The Government first signalled it would be “resetting” immigration in May. A speech written by Faafoi and delivered by Minister Stuart Nash at the time to indicate the move was criticised at the time by advocates as “migrant scapegoating”, and by others as being confusing. 

The announcement appeared to have been released prematurely on the Immigration website on Wednesday. 

A reference to the “one-off 2021 resident visa” appeared briefly on the website, but was taken down by Wednesday afternoon — but not before National’s immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford posted a screenshot on Twitter and called it a “policy win” of “effective opposition”. 

The ACT Party on Wednesday night sent out a media release with the details of Faafoi’s announcement, before it was officially released by the Government on Thursday morning.

ACT’s Immigration spokesperson James McDowall said his party wanted to congratulate Faafoi “for giving up on his so-called Immigration reset”.

“We need to be sure he’s not culling a years-long queue to simply create another one,” McDowall said.

“This will be welcomed by migrants and employers, but questions remain about whether the Minister is shifting his policy failures from one corner of the room to another.”

Source SOURCE: 1 NEWS