For a country to be considered developed; certainly, the citizens alone won’t be able to drive the dreams. This is the exact case with New Zealand. A thriving economy needs extra hands not just to cure labor insufficiency but to enthrone diversity. Skilled migrants are the root of that diversity that is seeing the country grow into a more free-market economy.
In pursuing economic freedom, diversity, and even more advancement, the country has made several immigration provisions to make skill import much easier. Foreigners can take advantage of the employment visa sponsorship available in New Zealand to migrate to the country and engage in lucrative jobs.
If you aspire to secure employment and move to the country, we have put this New Zealand visa sponsorship piece together to ensure you actualize that.
Understanding the Concept of New Zealand Visa Sponsorship
For New Zealand, visa sponsorship is a means to connect or reconnect families with other members or connect enterprises with their workforce. For family visa sponsorship, the visa model seeks to unite family member(s) domiciled outside New Zealand with relatives in New Zealand.
Apart from family migration, individuals who secured employment with a firm domiciled in New Zealand will find the sponsorship visa option vital to their migration. This takes us to two common sponsorship visas regarding the New Zealand migration, they are employment and family visa sponsorship.
Family sponsorship refers to when migrating relatives while employment sponsorship refers to when migrating workforce.
Ideal New Zealand Sponsorship Visa Model for Skilled Migrants
It is important to understand that several visa models exist in New Zealand for migrating skilled workforce. The ideal one will depend on the employment category; we suggest you examine further with your New Zealand travel agent or immigration expert in New Zealand migration.
In the meantime, we will focus on two seemingly all-encompassing visa models as our yardstick for this New Zealand travel advisory. In this case, we will examine the “Accredited Employer Work Visa” and the “Skilled Migrant” Categories. Note that other New Zealand employer migration visas exist but we can’t cover all this time.
While the accredited employer work visa is more generalized and allows employers to migrate workers into New Zealand, the skilled migrant category is more specific.
In this case, we recommend the skilled migrant visa model as it is the focus of this guide. You may also consult further with experts in New Zealand migration to determine the best option for you.
Responsibilities while pursuing a Skilled Workforce Migration to New Zealand
With the New Zealand Sponsorship Visa, some responsibilities fall on the interest parties. Such responsibilities extend to the sponsors and applicants. Some of the basic responsibilities include:
New Zealand Sponsorship Visa Responsibilities for Employer
- The employer must operate under the New Zealand Provision for running such an enterprise: To sponsor a visa in New Zealand, an employer must be law-abiding. Such sponsors must not have been in the habit of breaking immigration laws or sponsoring visas for financial gains. Individuals or firms must not charge migrants to pose as visa sponsors.
- Create a Real Me profile and obtain an ID: Becoming a visa sponsor requires tendering entity details to the New Zealand immigration authority through the Real Me profile. This will lead to the issuance of an ID. The employer is required to provide the ID to the migrating employee for further processing of the visa.
- Take full responsibility for the employee’s actions: Being allowed to migrate workers into New Zealand is a privilege that puts the employer in full responsibility. If an employee is found going against any provisions that may warrant an offense charge or deportation, the sponsor is held responsible for such charges or associated fees. While an employee may decide to cover such expenditure, the authority will hold the sponsor responsible.
- Support migrants, especially upon arrival in New Zealand: Migrants often face several challenges upon arrival into a new country. Access to essential provisions like healthcare, shelter, clothing, and food may be tough for migrants in the early days. Employers are to ensure that employee gets access to these things which will help them settle into New Zealand society.
- Meet accreditation requirements for migrant workers’ employment thus:
- Indicate that no available or interested individual in New Zealand can take up employment. This is given the New Zealand government’s prioritization of citizens or residents’ employment.
- Indicate ability to satisfy median wage requirements unless employment is in the exemption category. The median wage as of 2023 stands at $29.66 (NZD) per hour.
- Apply for accreditation: The accreditation enables sponsors to employ and migrate workers into New Zealand.
Responsibilities of Applicant in Pursuit of New Zealand Visa Sponsorship
- Find a visa sponsor: The first aspect of New Zealand migration on employment sponsorship is to be sponsored by an employer.
- Provide Sponsor’s sharing ID: Part of the New Zealand Visa process requires the applicant to tender the sponsor’s ID. Your sponsor has to obtain the ID and then make it available to the applicant.
- Provide other application information: Applicant is to proceed with the application by providing the following information or documents of employment and immigration importance, more or less documents may be requested as you progress depending on your visa type but below are the common requirements for New Zealand Visas:
- Valid Passport: A New Zealand sponsorship visa must indicate a bilateral connection between the applicant’s home country and New Zealand. This is most likely accomplished through a valid passport.
- Character assessment from the home country’s police: Individuals older than 17 must tender a recent police report.
- Biometric capturing: Applicant may be required to provide biometric data to the New Zealand immigration authority.
- Background documents: Applicant is to tender a birth certificate or equivalent document in cases where the applicant has no birth certificate.
- Provide Proof of Educational qualification.
- Provide Documents of Work experience: Since we are examining New Zealand skilled employment visas, the applicant is expected to summarize their experience, qualifications, and others through a CV, resume, employment letter, tax records, etc.
- Security clearance may apply in some cases.
- Efficiency in the use of English may apply in most but not all of the cases.
- Health Screening: Potential migrants may undergo medical tests like chest X-ray. Duration of stay and other factors may impact what medical test the applicant may undergo.
- Understand How New Zealand Visa Applies to You: Not all applicants are required to pay for their New Zealand visas. Individuals from some countries are exempted from paying visa fees.
You may consider learning beforehand if your country is exempted. Also, individuals facing some humanitarian concerns like family violence may be exempted from paying visa fees. In cases where a visa fee applies, New Zealand immigration operates a non-refund policy even if your visa is denied.
Remote Means to Reach Your Potential Employer in New Zealand
Several employers seeking migrant workers in New Zealand are seeking means of reaching their potential employees. You can use several available channels to reach them by following these approaches:
- Leverage social media: Employers seeking migrant workers in New Zealand, rely on remote tools like social media to meet potential workers. For this reason, several firms in New Zealand operate social media pages. Potential employees may join New Zealand groups online. This will give such applicants access to the people and the firms.
- Reach employers in New Zealand through web search: The easiest way to discover employers remotely is through search; if their websites are already indexed by search engines the targeted search can lead you directly to your potential employer’s website or grant access to vital details like phone line. It will be easier to reach such potential employers that way.
- Reach employers through industry-based events: New Zealand firms engage in several industrial sector events. Applicants can discover such events by following business news in the country. Event hosts and participating corporations and individuals can be discovered by following such events remotely and proceeding to learn more.
- Try Professional Platforms or Dedicated Recruiters: Professional networks are fertile places where you may find potential New Zealand employers. Platforms like Trade Me, Zip Recruiters, and Linked In can be viable places to reach your potential employer in New Zealand.
Benefits of Migrating and Working in New Zealand
Since we don’t know your potential New Zealand employer yet, we may not be able to tell now what the benefits of working for such a firm, organization, or individual will entail in detail. We can discuss the common benefits associated with working in New Zealand.
- Financial Reward: Since this is a multi-opportunity visa sponsorship analysis, we analyzed lucrativeness using the median wage in New Zealand.
We decided to use the median wage given that this is a skilled worker migration analysis; such workers in the country earn around the amount or more.
At 29.66 (NZD), we consider potential rewards as lucrative. Given the current exchange rate, NZD to USD exchange stands at about $18.2 (USD).
- Advanced Society: New Zealand is a thriving economy with all-round development. Migrants usually find fascinating the sophistication and diversity of the Island Oceania country.
- Life Work balance: It is important to be able to attend to other things that matter while pursuing a career. New Zealand is crafted to give residents that balance. Living, working, and access to recreation and other welfare packages are at the heart of the New Zealand work culture.
- Insurance Coverage: Most New Zealand firms that sponsor visas also subscribe to insurance.
- Friendly or Intentional Labor Policies: From wages to worker welfare, and protection, New Zealand’s employment and labor authority is intentional about the work environment in the country.
- Exploration: Just like other Oceania countries, diversity in nature and man-made environments springs from a near artistic inspiration. Lucky migrants will experience and explore the country’s natural beauty and artificial creativity.
- Learning and Personal Development Opportunities: Advanced societies offer many benefits which include learning opportunities everywhere one turns. With an advanced education system, migrants may have opportunities to pursue structured learning or informal learning. Whatever the case, migrants in New Zealand have several opportunities in terms of personal development.
New Zealand Openings with Visa Sponsorship
With New Zealand’s approach to migration, visa sponsorship is more about willingness. This is because individuals, organizations, and firms are allowed to sponsor visas in New Zealand. The most important things an applicant should possess are the qualities that may earn you employment and the ability to meet other requirements of the New Zealand Visa. Some New Zealand Firms that Sponsor visas are:
- A.S. Wilcox & Sons Limited: Agriculture is a priority sector in New Zealand and provides a friendlier process for migrating foreigners to New Zealand. Several agricultural firms in New Zealand enjoy special privileges during seasonal surges. A.S. Wilcox & Sons Limited is one of the New Zealand agribusinesses among such recognized entities that sponsor visas, especially during such seasonal surges.
- Fisher & Paykel Healthcare: Healthcare is very crucial in New Zealand. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare is one of the country’s leading providers of healthcare products and services. When employment qualifies, they may sponsor a foreign employee’s visa.
- Xero: Xero follows the tradition of tech giants all over the world, a diversified workforce is the key to tech evolution. Tech experts from around the world are invited to work at the firm.
- ANZ Bank New Zealand: A strong banking sector thrives on exchange. Not just financial exchange but expertise and experience. ANZ Bank in its culture to build a world-class financial service is open to international applicants.
Conclusion
We don’t consider an economy advanced if surplus is not the case. For a country to be on the surplus side of production or the service sector that means citizens alone won’t be able to manage critical production or service facilities.
This is the case in New Zealand and every passing time is creating a deficiency in the employment sector of the country where a little effort towards securing an employment visa sponsorship can have you securing a job and contributing to these firms that need a skilled workforce from the international space.