INZ has informed that the Government has changed some temporary work visa conditions to support certain sectors in essential services to manage COVID-19.
Healthcare Sector
Visa applications will be prioritised for key roles necessary for the health response in New Zealand.
As a temporary measure, some lower skilled temporary healthcare workers that are currently in New Zealand will be able to work in New Zealand for an additional 12 months before they are subject to the stand down period.
This will allow those health workers with lower skilled Essential Skills visas who have worked in New Zealand for three years an additional 12 months before they are subject to a stand down period where they must leave New Zealand.
This will provide additional certainty for those impacted, some of whom will be affected by the first stand down period from 28 August 2020, and it will also help maintain existing workforces at this critical time.
Student visa holders that were employed in an essential health worker role on 3 April 2020, will be able to work more than 20 hours for the period 3 April 2020 to 3 July 2020 in order to support the public health response to COVID-19. This includes aged residential care and applies to interim visa holders who immediately prior held a student visa.
Essential Health Workers information
More student visa holder information
Supermarkets
Changes have been made to immigration instructions to relax visa restrictions for two groups of current supermarket employees for a period of 30 days to help manage labour supply issues.
Up until 25 April 2020 work visa holders working in supermarkets can work in roles in addition to those specified on their visa.
During the same period student visa holders who work in supermarkets can work more than the current maximum of 20 hours per week if they employed on 23 March 2020.
It is important to remember that any amendment to an employee’s conditions of work must be compliant with normal New Zealand employment law and the individual or collective employment agreement relevant to the employee.
These changes have been made in response to supermarkets experiencing immediate labour supply issues, particularly to meet the increased demand for shelf re-stocking.
These visa measures apply to supermarkets operated by Woolworths New Zealand – owners of Countdown, Super Value and FreshChoice supermarkets – and Foodstuffs Limited – owners of New World, Pak n Save and Four Square.
More student visa holder information
Visa processing information
All Immigration New Zealand offices are now closed. The priority of our reduced staff in New Zealand is urgent tasks relating to COVID-19 and other health matters.
Residents with expired travel conditions cannot travel to New Zealand. You may apply for reinstatement of resident visa travel conditions.
Immigration New Zealand cannot extend visa durations other than under the terms of the epidemic management notice. You may withdraw any undecided applications, but fees or levies paid for completed applications will not be refunded or deferred for another visa. NZeTAs are valid for two years.
Air crew and sea travel
Air and maritime crew continue to be exempt from the travel restrictions, including from the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.
Ministry of Health advice to airline crew
Cruise ships cannot enter to New Zealand’s territorial waters effective from 23:59 Saturday 14 March 2020. This will remain in place until at least 30 June 2020.