Falconpowers- New Zealand announced it has tightened its visa rules, introducing language and skill criteria and shortening work permit lengths in response to “unsustainable net migration.”
The changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) scheme have gone into immediate effect, and will mean that New Zealand is “better testing the local labor market and reducing the risks of putting New Zealanders out of work,” the country’s Minister of Immigration, Erica Stanford, announced on Sunday.
In 2023, 173,000 non-New Zealand citizens migrated to the country, the statement said.
While there are still skill shortages in areas such as education, Stanford said, “at the same time, we need to ensure that New Zealanders are put to the front of the line for jobs where there are no skills shortages.”
