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Government responds to industry pressure – announces immigration changes for hospitality

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Responding to pressure from industry, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced measures targeted to support our industry.

  • Level 4 qualification requirement removed from 18 October
  • Exemption to median wage for some roles to be set at 95% of median wage from April 2023 – April 2024
  • Government acknowledges changes are in response to industry pressure

The Association has met with both the Minister and Immigration NZ to formally request the removal of the Level 4 qualification requirement for chefs. We raised issues during the consultation process and shortly thereafter regarding this requirement. We know this has been causing many challenges for our members and are welcoming the news that our requests have been heard and this requirement has now been removed.

We are in desperate need of employees and are operating in an environment with record low employment. These updates should see chefs having one less hurdle to jump through when qualifying for a visa.

Minister Wood acknowledged that labour shortages continue to be a persistent ongoing global symptom and the Government are listening closely to the concerns of the hospitality and tourism sectors, and working with us to take practical steps to support our industry with these challenges.

The Minister said “We agree with the hospitality industry that removing the qualification requirement for chefs to be hired through an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) will allow those top rated chefs who have trained at the coal face to come to NZ“.

The Association has also been calling for an extension until 2024 to those hospitality and tourism roles that are currently exempt until April 2023 from paying the median wage. At this stage the Government has made some minor concessions to this request. In April 2023, employers will be able to pay migrant workers in these roles on an AEWV 95 per cent of the median wage ($28.18/hour). This will then increase to 100 percent of the median wage in April 2024.

The Restaurant Association will continue lobbying for our members’ interests. Removing the Level 4 requirement is a step in the right direction, and we welcome this action from the Government. There is more that can be done, though, and we look forward to working with government to achieve a short term and  long-term strategy that will support the  hospitality industry.

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