Good news for migrant workers

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The government has backed away from plans to make it very difficult for partners of work visa holders to secure work rights.

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From 31 May, migrant workers holding Accredited Employer Work Visas (AEWV) can support their partners to secure work rights. Partners will be able to work for any accredited employer provided they are paid at least the median wage (currently $29.66 per hour). The partner can move between accredited employers without changing their work visa, provided they keep earning the median wage or higher. Partners can only work for employers who are accredited.

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Migrant workers holding an AEWV based on a job that is on the Green List or are paid twice the median wage can support partners to secure open work rights. This will allow the partner to work for any employer (including employers who are not accredited) in any job and in any region of NZ.

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There is more detail to be released. The press release said, “most migrant workers” , which means not every partner is included. We will update you once the policy is released – in the world of immigration, the devil is in the detail!

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The government has also introduced a new Family Violence work visa for victims of family violence. Should a person in NZ on a temporary visa suffer from family violence, they may be eligible to apply for a six month work visa. The applicant needs to hold a visa based on their partnership with a NZ resident or NZ citizen or a work/student visa holder. Before this change, there was no proper visa protection for partners of temporary visa holders. The work visa has open work rights, so a person can work for any employer, in any job and in any region of NZ.

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