New Zealand Loses Medical Practitioners To Other Countries Over Migration Rules

New Zealand – An attractive point for medical practitioners in Australia to move elsewhere is parent acceptance under migration norms. An exodus is in witness as medical practitioners including nurses and consultants are being asked to move to various countries with better migration laws.

On the receiving end is New Zealand and Australia. The dependent category acceptance was put on freeze in 2016. Many who have shifted to New Zealand from other countries have been waiting to welcome their parents with them. But as soon as the freeze was to be lifted, the pandemic made things difficult if not worse for such migrant medical practitioners.

Currently, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of highly qualified and experienced doctors, nurses, teachers, and other essential workers who are contemplating movement if the visas for their parents are not extended and the parent category remains closed.

Additionally, doctors and medical staff have shared that working conditions in New Zealand are not as conducive, neither are the salaries really. The only saving point for immigrants is connect with family which is now a far-fetched dream. Immigration New Zealand said in a statement that Expression of Interest (EOI) selections for the Parent Category and Skilled Migrant Category were not restarting as part of the five-step border reopening. “Decisions around reopening the Parent Category and resuming EOI selections are made by the government,” said immigration policy manager Ruth Isaac. “No decisions have yet been made.”

There is already a shortage of ICU nurses in New Zealand for which the government has started recruitments in beginning of February. The medical facilities are understaffed and with the Omicron wave catching on gradually, New Zealand seems to be on the losing end, after all. Worldwide, there is relaxation towards migrating medical fraternity, owing to the mutating Coronavirus and the resulting load of patients to take care of thereafter.