Wellington: Taking a cue from Australia and Canada, New Zealand has announced tighter visa rules to check the number of immigrants, increasing the requirements to qualify for jobs in the country.

While the effectiveness of these additional requirements remains in question, the move is likely to impact Indians seeking jobs in New Zealand.

The new requirements include English proficiency, work experience and skill criteria, besides reducing the duration of stay with a work permit. By overhauling the immigration system, the New Zealand government hopes to control the "unsuitable" number of migrants entering the country.

Journalist Dita De Boni of the National Business Review in Auckland expressed concern that it might be tougher for Indians and other immigrants to get jobs. "The new rules being introduced in New Zealand will inevitably make it harder for Indian and other immigrants from countries outside the Anglosphere to come and work here. Whether or not that is the intention, however, is hard to tell," she told NDTV in an exclusive comment. 

There has been a steady rise in the number of Indians in New Zealand. As per the 2018 New Zealand census, Indians made up about 4.7% of the population. 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in October 2023 said New Zealand has approximately 2,50,000 persons of Indian origin and NRIs, most of whom are settled there permanently. Data on ENZ.org (a New Zealand government affiliate) indicates that approximately 18,000 Indians have migrated to the country since 2011. 

New Zealand's Immigration minister Erica Stanford announced the changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV), which serves as the main temporary work visa. It was introduced in 2022 to alleviate workforce shortages due to the pandemic and lockdowns.

Three main changes have been proposed in the visa rules. First, English-language requirements will be enforced for low-skill jobs. Next, most work visas will require a minimum threshold of skills, in the form of work experience or suitable qualifications. Last, the maximum continuous stay allowed on work permits will be reduced to three years from five. Employers are also encouraged to hire immigrants only after making sure that there are no "suitable and available New Zealander" candidates who have applied for the job. It aims to not only control immigration, but also to provide more employment to locals and incentivise them to stay in the country. In 2023, the country recorded a loss of 47,000 citizens who moved elsewhere for better work opportunities. 

The Immigration minister claimed the visa restrictions would be beneficial for migrant rights. Citing previous instances of exploitation by some New Zealand employers who were misusing the AEWV scheme to take money from aspiring immigrants, Erica Stanford stated, "By having an English-language requirement migrants will be better able to understand their rights or raise concerns about an employer early."

However, questioning the need for these changes, Dita De Boni stated, "The Minister of Immigration said the rule was put in place to prevent migrant exploitation, which is an issue New Zealand has been dealing with for several years, and which appears to be getting worse. However, some commentators here believe upping the English language requirement - like Australia did - does little to prevent exploitation happening."

The current government, she added, was elected on a pro-immigration platform and usually had the support of the business sector. "However, on this issue it might be different -  Business NZ, which represents the country's business sector, is wary of the changes (not just the enhanced English language but other changes that see paths to residency in certain sectors such as construction restricted)," she said.

Source: NDTV