Immigration updates: changes to median wage and more

Author: Steve Baker, Advisa Immigration Services Ltd. (A partner of Enterprise Recruitment)



Work to Residence eligibility extended to non-AEWV holders

• Eligibility for the Green List Work to Residence visas is being extended to include all temporary work visa holders and Critical Purpose Visitor Visa holders with work rights.
• The Green List and Sector Agreement Work to Residence eligibility is being extended to include non-Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders.
  When the visas open for applications from 29 September 2023, all temporary work visa holders and Critical Purpose Visitor Visa holders with work rights will be able to claim work experience to count towards them.
• Applicants will need to have had 2 years of work experience in a relevant role starting from 29 September 2021, and meet the relevant skill and wage thresholds.
• This change aligns these residence pathway settings with the new Skilled Migrant Category, which ensures the settings are consistent, and reduces the complexity for applicants.
• Applicants will also need to meet the median wage requirements and other standard residence requirements including health, character, age, and English language when they apply for residence.

Median wage requirements

• Changes are also being made to make the median wage requirements for the Green List pathways clear.
• People on the Green List Work to Residence pathway will need to meet the median wage, or occupation-specific wage requirement threshold in place at the start of their 24-month work experience and at the time they are applying for residence.
• If the median wage increases during the 2 year work experience period, they do not need to meet the new threshold until they make their residence application, unless they change jobs.
• There will be an exemption to this requirement for people in Green List Work to Residence occupations who hold a non-AEWV and applied for it before 29 September 2023. 
• They will only have to meet the median wage or their occupation-specific wage requirement at the time they apply for residence.
• All Green List Straight to Residence applicants will be required to have a job or job offer that meets the median wage requirement.

Talent Accredited Employers (TAE) and Long Term Skill Shortage (LTSSL) work visa channel changes

From 31 August 2023, Talent Accredited Employer (TAE) and Long Term Skill Shortage (LTSSL) Work visa holders who were outside of New Zealand due to border closure during the Covid-19 response will no longer be able to submit further TAE or LTSSL applications to restart their residence pathway.

AEWV upcoming changes.

Immigration NZ, from 27 November 2023 are:

• introducing a 'maximum continuous stay' for everyone who has an AEWV
• increasing the length of the AEWV for people earning at least the median wage from 3 years to 5 years, and
• increasing the length of the AEWV for people in the care workforce sector who are paid at least the level 3 pay rate, from 2 years to 3 years.

If you have an AEWV that was approved before 27 November 2023, and you are eligible for the longer visa length:

• you will be able to apply for the balance of the 5-year or 3-year visa
• your employer will not need another Job Check if your role and visa conditions remain the same.

Maximum continuous stay

The maximum continuous stay is the total time you can be on an AEWV before you must spend time outside New Zealand to be eligible for another AEWV.

From 27 November, if you are paid above the median wage, your maximum continuous stay will be 5 years.

Maximum continuous stays are also being introduced for sectors which are exempt from paying the median wage.

Table 1: AEWV length, maximum continuous stay and time outside New Zealand effective from 27 November 2023.