If migrants
hold a job offer from a Recognised Seasonal Employer, then they can apply for
this visa. The
number of temporary visas for foreign seasonal workers will increase by just
over 3000 in the next two years.
Caroline Ryan, Licensed Immigration Adviser said from 4th October, the annual cap on temporary visas that can be granted under the Seasonal Work scheme has now increased by 1,550 to 14,400.
On the Recognised Seasonal Employer Limited
Visa, you can come to New Zealand for a short time to work in New Zealand’s
horticulture and viticulture industries. Applicants must first have a job
offer.
Since it came into effect in April 2007 The policy allows the horticulture and viticulture industries
to recruit workers from overseas for seasonal work when there
are not enough New Zealand workers.
INZ states workers must meet
health and character requirements and provide evidence of arrangements to leave
New Zealand at the end of their stay.
People employed under the RSE
policy may stay in New Zealand for up to seven months during any 11-month
period. Exceptions to this are workers from Tuvalu and Kiribati, who can stay
for nine months because of the distance from New Zealand and the cost of
travel.
‘Unless employers can show
they have pre-established relationships with workers from other countries, they
may only recruit workers under RSE policy from these countries: Fiji; Kiribati;
Nauru; Papua New Guinea; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga; Tuvalu; and Vanuatu’.
In the
first year, 1550 more visas will be available for workers from the Pacific to
come to New Zealand under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
An increase
in the second year is conditional on the industry proving it is making
horticulture and viticulture sectors easier and more attractive for New Zealand
workers.
“The cap on the number of temporary visas that can be granted to employ foreign seasonal workers is set to rise by 3150 over two years to 16,000,” Immigration Minister Ian Lees-Galloway said.
In the
first year it will increase by 1550 to 14,400 for 2019/20 and if approval has
also been given for the cap to be raised then it will increase by a further
1,600 places to 16,000 in 2020/21.
Mr Iain
Lees-Galloway said the industry would also need to make sure more accommodation
was built for workers.
He said
restrictions would be placed on the further use of residential housing by
seasonal workers to prevent New Zealanders being squeezed out of local housing
by the increased cap.
“New
Zealand is dealing with a housing crisis left to us by the previous government.
So, this year restrictions will be placed on the further use of residential
rental housing by RSE employers to accommodate RSE workers,” Mr
Lees-Galloway said.
“I
continue to encourage the industry to do more to accommodate its workforce and
make sure Kiwis aren’t squeezed out of local housing by an increase in the RSE
cap”.
He said areas
that are deemed to have low housing pressure will be exempted from the
restriction.