Some employer groups say pleas to government have 'fallen on deaf ears'
Various groups across New Zealand are welcoming the government's move to expand the Green List to include more roles in the work-to-residence tier.
Starting March 2023, more migrants in healthcare, education, and construction sectors can apply for a straight-to-residence visa without being required to work for two years in New Zealand. This would give the country a "competitive edge in a highly competitive global environment," according to Immigration Minister Michael Wood.
Aged Care Commissioner Carolyn Cooper was among those who welcomed the development, noting that it could not have come sooner for the sector.
"This will make a difference to the quality and safety of care of older people in aged residential care, those using home and community support services, and those interacting with nurses, doctors, and health professionals, in a health system experiencing severe workforce shortages," she said.
Civil Contractors New Zealand also said they were "pleased" to see that the need for civil tradespeople and site supervisors are acknowledged by the government.
"These are rewarding, well-paying jobs with great benefit for our communities. With these changes, skilled civil construction workers now have long-term prospects and can build a life for themselves here," said Alan Pollard, chief executive of Civil Contractors NZ.
Adding skilled motor mechanics to the Green List is also a "massive boost" to the automotive industry, according to the Motor Trade Association (MTA).
The MTA has long pushed for "looser immigration settings" as the talent crunch in the sector pushed businesses to closure and gave business owners heightened mental health stress.
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"This just shows how dire the shortage is," said MTA chief executive Ian Pike. "It's been the number one issue keeping MTA members awake at night for some time."
More professions sought for Green List
Despite the welcome development, however, some groups are calling on the government to include more roles in the Green List as they experience a shortage of talent.
Physiotherapy New Zealand is among these groups.
"For some time now, we have been talking to health officials about the need to attract physiotherapists from overseas but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Physios’ workloads have been increasing as we are seeing more and more patients as a result of injuries, treatment to prevent falls, children with disabilities, and managing Long COVID," said PNZ president Mark Quinn.
According to Quinn, physiotherapy can help reduce the need for acute care and hospital admissions.
"It makes no sense to us that the government doesn’t recognise these benefits and open the way for overseas professionals to work here," Quinn said. "Without us GPs and nurses are even more overloaded and access to care is reduced, leading to poorer health outcomes particularly for Māori and Pasifika."
Hospitality New Zealand also expressed disappointment that their request to include chefs in the expanded Green List has been "ignored."
"We asked for them to be included on the list as a bare minimum, but this was shut down by the government, saying they can already come in," Hospitality New Zealand said in a statement. "But they have totally missed the point."
"Chefs are allowed to work in New Zealand, but they have to uproot their life to settle in a country where there is no certainty of residency, versus Australia, where there is automatic residency," the group added. "All we asked for is competitive policy settings that at least give us a chance of attracting people."
The statement from Hospitality NZ came as the group recently said it would need "another 30,000 employees" this summer.