New Zealander Government Accredited Migrant Employment System- An Eyewash?

New Zealand – According to Federated Farmers national board member and employment and immigration spokesperson Chris Lewis, the latest migrant regulations for New Zealanders is simply a ‘tick-box’ exercise and nothing much. In a latest move, employers bringing migrant workers into New Zealand will have to be accredited under a new Government rule, starting in July 2022. But according to Mr. Lewis, this is just another way of increasing more bureaucracy for farmers and just another rule to comply with.

Now, employers will have to make it to an accredited point scheme in order to be able to employ migrant workers. The intend is to create a checkpoint at source beforehand. The Government plans to transition to an accredited employer scheme, which will mean employers must be accredited to hire migrant workers on an Accredited Employer Work Visa. On its official website, the Ministry of Immigration states that three distinct steps will have to be followed before roping in any migrant workers. So before hiring a migrant on the scheme, a company needs accreditation, a job check, and a migrant check.

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Through this scheme, a new class exception comes into place that allows some 300 dairy workers to get work in New Zealand. However, he still feels this will have low actual impact on the real situation.

While Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said the accreditation system would standardize and simplify migrant employment processes and protect workers from migrant exploitation, in reality, Mr. Lewis feels that companies are anyway complaint. The real problem is much deeper. Speaking to the local media, Mr. Faafoi is more hopeful of the governmental move. He said, “The new accredited system will also support the objectives of the Government’s immigration rebalance to improve pay and conditions, address skills training challenges and career paths for both migrant and local workers across sectors. The accreditation requirements ensured that employers of migrant workers are familiar with New Zealand employment law, have no recent history of breaching immigration requirements of employment standards, and will undertake settlement support activities with their migrant workers.”