New Version Of ANZSCO Applies Transitionally To Current Migrant Employees
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced a targeted review of
the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of
Occupations (ANZSCO) job classification system, which has moved
some lower-skilled occupations over to the medium skilled
occupation group.
This is a positive update for employers looking to hire
individuals working in the impacted occupations, listed below.
INZ does not intend to use the updated version of ANZSCO until
mid-2020 but a transitional policy has been introduced in the
interim, allowing individuals currently working in these upgraded
occupations to benefit from the new version of ANZSCO.
Benefits
Foreign national employees currently working in New Zealand in
the newly upgraded occupations may now be eligible to apply for a
medium-skilled work visa, provided they are being paid at or above
the median income rate (currently NZD 25 per hour or NZD 52,000 per
annum for a 40-hour week).
Holding a medium-skilled work visa allows employees to support
family for dependent visas and to avoid the stand-down period
imposed on low-skilled workers, which requires them to go home
after holding three 12-month work visas.
Individuals currently working in these occupations may also
qualify to apply for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category,
especially if they apply before the median income threshold rises,
as anticipated by INZ.
Upgraded Occupations
The occupations that have been upgraded from low- to
medium-skilled include childcare worker, beauty therapist, tour
guide, bungee-jump master, bookkeeper, bank-worker, sewing
machinist, train driver, diving instructor and insurance
investigator. The full list is available here.
Upcoming Changes
The New Zealand government has recently proposed significant
changes to the employer-assisted work visa framework, including
removing the ANZSCO skill level assessment for Work Visas from
mid-2020:
Jobs will instead be classified as “low” or
“high” paid. This will be based on whether the hourly
rate is above or below the median wage (currently NZD 25) Pay rate
together with “Labour Market Region” will determine the
length of visa issued ANZSCO will be retained for Skilled Migrant
Residence Visa assessments ANZSCO will still be used to ensure that
the rate of pay is not less than market rate and the visa applicant
is suitably qualified.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.