The Minister of Immigration of New Zealand, Hon Michael Wood, has announced that from Thursday, December 15, registered nurses, as well as midwives, will be eligible for the immediate pathway to residence under the new immigration changes.
“From Thursday, registered nurses and midwives will have an immediate pathway to the residence, including those already in New Zealand,” the statement of Minister Michael Wood reads.
According to an official press release issued by the official website of the New Zealand Government, the decision to facilitate the immigration rules was taken in order to further support the country’s businesses through the global labor shortage as well as to attract more skilled workers long term, VisaGuide.World reports.
Immigration Minister Michael Wood revealed that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 3,474 nurses arrived in New Zealand. However, he emphasized that the country needs to no more in order to encourage more nurses to choose New Zealand.
By adding these roles to the list of persons that will be able to receive immediate residency, the Minister said that the country will build on the attractiveness and will help the economy deal with labor shortages.
In addition to the above-mentioned, Minister Michael Wood stressed that the Green List will also include more professions in education as well as in the construction sectors.
“As part of our signaled review, we are expanding the Green List settings to include more professions in our healthcare, education and construction sectors, to give a competitive edge in a highly competitive global environment,” Minister Michael Wood stressed.
The official website of the New Zealand Government further explained that a set of additional measures have been confirmed too.
The government has decided to automatically extend employer accreditation by 12 months provided that their first accreditation is applied for by July 4, 2023.
Moreover, the government has also introduced a simplified Specific Purpose work visa to help around 2,500 long-term critical workers who are already in the country in order to make it possible for them to work in their role for up to three years.
The last confirmed measure is the decision of the New Zealand Government to provide a 12-month Open Work Visa for around 1,800 people who previously held Post Study Work Visas and who missed out on the visa because of the border closure that took place in 2020 and 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Green List of New Zealand has been under review for quite some time now and it will continue being reviewed in mid-2023. Depending on the market needs, the authorities are expected to make additional changes too.
The post New Zealand: Nurses Are Now Eligible for Immediate Residency appeared first on VisaGuide.World.
