29 Sep 2021
We’ve been hearing a lot of concern from the profession on the challenges of bringing overseas engineers into New Zealand. We know industry is very busy and the need for overseas talent to support project delivery is high.
In July 2021 ACE New Zealand, Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, Civil Contractors New Zealand and the Registered Builders Association published a report 'Skills Shortage, Recruitment & Immigration Challenges in the Construction Sector', which quantifies the scale of demand for skills.
Current immigration settings
New Zealand’s border closed on 20 March 2020. To get workers through the border is a three-step process:
- Border exception
- Visa
- Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) placement
Border exceptions and MIQ places
A joint initiative to secure 60 MIQ places per month for the construction sector ended in March 2022 and no further applications will be accepted. From now on, construction sector travellers coming to New Zealand who require MIQ places can apply through the Managed Isolation Allocation System (MIAS).
Long-term immigration settings
The Government is looking at its long-term immigration settings as it works towards opening the border. This work will impact visa availability and criteria and the future flow of engineers into New Zealand.
Here at Engineering New Zealand, we are watching developments closely. Ensuring the sustainability of the engineering workforce is a key priority for us and we will advocate for the continued training of engineers in New Zealand, as well as the appropriate visa settings so that we can recruit talent from overseas, where needed.
The Productivity Commission recently released its report on immigration settings 'Immigration, productivity and wellbeing'.
Workers already in New Zealand
On 29 September 2021 the Minister of Immigration signalled a new visa category – the 2021 Resident Visa. This new visa provides a pathway to residence for some 165,000 workers fulfilling jobs on the long-term skills shortage list and who have been caught in New Zealand due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but with no pathway to residence, and will be available to applicants’ partners and immediate family members. Applications will open in two tranches, on 1 December 2021 and 1 March 2022.
If you would like to get in touch with us about this work, please email us at hello@engineeringnz.org
