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Farmers are crying foul over adjustments introduced by the Authorities this week to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme.
Federated Farmers dairy chair and immigration spokesman Richard McIntyre says the adjustments “have induced quite a lot of concern and confusion”.
Many farmers depend on migrant employees to work on dairy farms and orchards. McIntyre claims the adjustments got here into power instantly and can make issues rather a lot tougher for farmers who’re attempting to herald employees from oversees.
The adjustments embody a shorter visa size of two years with a most steady keep interval of three years, and the introduction of a 12-month stand-down interval on the finish of the visa. There are additionally new minimal necessities on the subject of abilities, work expertise, promoting roles, and fascinating with Work and Revenue.
McIntyre says Federated Farmers don’t help many of those adjustments and have written to the Immigration Minister, Erica Stanford elevating issues and requesting an pressing assembly to debate them.
“We’re involved that these sudden adjustments will put plenty of farmers in a troublesome and unexpected state of affairs the place they’re unable to fill roles this season,” he says.
“This can be a vital challenge. Workers shortages can have a huge effect on well being & security, psychological wellbeing, and animal welfare.
“There may be additionally a danger that the standdown requirement will create a state of affairs the place expert workers, who farmers have invested in, are picked up by different nations.”
In keeping with Federated Farmers the important thing adjustments to the AEWV scheme are targeted on these migrant employees who’re getting into, or have entered, New Zealand to work in ANZSCO Degree 4 and 5 talent degree roles. These adjustments apply from 7 April 2024. They embody:
A shorter visa size of two years for individuals who utilized for his or her first AEWV after 7 April 2024, with a most steady keep interval of three years
The introduction of a 12-month stand-down interval on the finish of the AEWV for migrant employees
An English language requirement of migrant employees
A minimal abilities and work expertise requirement of migrant employees
A requirement to promote vacancies longer (rising from 14 days to 21 days) of employers; and
A requirement for employers to interact with Work and Revenue.
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