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Essential Skills work visas and temporary migrants: guidance for New Zealand hospitality sector employers

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Immigration New Zealand have updated guidance for hospitality businesses on Essential Skills work visas. This updated information is intended to help you and your employees understand, plan for, and comply with New Zealand’s changing immigration environment.

Many staff within our hospitality industry hold temporary work visas. Of these, the visa type currently likely to be of most interest to employers is the employer-assisted Essential Skills work visa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has damaged the economies of nations worldwide. In New Zealand, the hospitality sector has been particularly affected. For the immediately foreseeable future, international tourism will be severely limited, and with many hospitality businesses operating on tight margins, unemployment is predicted to rise.

Many staff within New Zealand’s hospitality industry hold temporary work visas. Of these, the visa type currently likely to be of most interest to employers is the employer assisted Essential Skills work visa.

In July 2020, many Essential Skills work visa holders were granted a six-month extension. This was a short-term measure recognising the difficulty of international travel. Nonetheless, even allowing for the extension, large numbers of current Essential Skills work visas will expire in the first six months of 2021.

Download the updated Immigration New Zealand essential skills guidance here.

The Restaurant Association are also in ongoing discussions with the Government and Immigration New Zealand regarding current recruitment challenges for our member businesses and the issues we are predicting when our workers on essential skills visas have their visas expire.

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