Government also expediting applications to up to seven days
The New Zealand government is introducing a new Recovery Visa to fast-track the entry of workers who are needed to aid the country in recovering from recent weather-related disasters.
"The Recovery Visa means overseas specialists needed to support the recovery efforts can come here immediately," said Immigration Minister Michael Wood.
The visa will cover migrant workers are able to provide the following support:
- providing emergency response
- immediate clean-up
- assessing risk or loss
- infrastructure, building and housing stabilisation and/or repair (including planning functions)
- work that directly supports the recovery (e.g., producing relevant materials for road rebuild, transport drivers, etc)
"The visa will last for up to six months. The fee will be refunded for successful applicants, making it free for those who come here," Wood said.
The government said it is expediting Recovery Visa applications with an aim to accomplish them within seven days.
The new visa comes after New Zealand was battered by flooding during the Auckland Anniversary weekend and following the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Similar visa pathways were previously introduced in New Zealand following the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, Wood said in a media release.
Latest News
What it means for employers
Employers will need to complete a Recovery Visa Employer Supplementary Form to confirm that the role they are filling supports the country's recovery from recent extreme weather events, according to Immigration NZ.
"This visa is not available to industries providing indirect support (e.g., businesses in the affected areas facing an increased demand for services) or to backfill vacancies of people leaving roles to work on the recovery," the agency said.
It further clarified that the Recovery Visa is not limited to roles in the North Island, noting that some direct support industries are also based in the South Island.
Business, union reactions
Businesses and unions across New Zealand welcomed the government's initiative on a Recovery Visa.
Business NZ, however, said the criteria needs to be broad to support all aspects of recovery.
"Firms need to be able to put forward the right person for the job at hand and businesses need flexibility to respond to the circumstances they are facing," Business NZ chief executive Kirk Hope said in a statement. "The recovery and getting businesses and communities back on their feet will take longer than six months, and firms need to be able to plan for recovery efforts while ensuring they don’t fall further behind on other critical projects and work. Those on work visas in-country need the opportunity to move to where their skills are needed."
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) also called for the protection of the workers who will be granted entry through the pathway.
"Protections were not applied well enough to people who arrived here as RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) workers. We need to do more to ensure all Recovery Visa workers are safeguarded from exploitation," NZCTU president Richard Wagstaff said in a statement.
Further measures
In addition to introducing a Recovery Visa, the government said it is also providing further support to Immigration New Zealand to speed up visa processing.
"The Public Service Commission is working with Immigration New Zealand to bring in additional medical assessors and identity specialists as additional resource from across the private and public sector to support overall visa processing timeframes," Wood said. "These skills will be made available to Immigration as they are freed up elsewhere. It's important however to stress they will not be pulled from the immediate Cyclone response."
Wood also clarified that the introduction of Recovery Visas will "not change global workforce shortages that are still at play."
"We need to accept the visa may not see the same level of uptake of those in the past – but we understand how important it is to do all we can to relieve pressure on business," he said. "As we gain a greater understanding of the scope and specialist skills required for the recovery, we will look to introduce further initiatives to support access to additional offshore labour."
Previously, the government announced grants for businesses to help them recover following the weather-related disruptions.