Nurses, midwives added to fast-tracked residency list

December 12, 2022
Generic image of a nurse

Nurses and midwives will be added to a fast-tracked pathway to New Zealand residency, the Immigration Minister announced on Monday.

From Thursday, registered nurses and midwives will be added to the so-called 'Green List', which allows migrants who fill certain job vacancies to get guaranteed residency pathways.

This will include nurses and midwives already in New Zealand, Michael Wood said.

Specialist doctors not already on the Green List will also be added from Thursday.

It's part of the Government's expansion of its Green List, with a total of 10 new professions across healthcare, education and construction now included.

The Government is expanding its Green List to attract skilled labour.

Gasfitters, drain layers, crane operators and primary and all secondary school teachers are part of the new additions, although they won't be able to access the residency pathway until March next year.

“New Zealand’s strong economic position during a time of global downturn presents a unique opportunity to attract more high skilled migrant workers to our shores, as we prepare for a challenging year ahead," Wood said.

He said nearly 3500 nurses had arrived in New Zealand since the pandemic, "but it's clear we need to do more to encourage nurses to choose New Zealand".

Bus and truck drivers will also be given a temporary residency pathway, with bus drivers receiving a pay boost in October.

Earlier this year, the Government faced criticism over excluding nurses from the fast-tracked residence list.

National responds

National's immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford said the decision didn't make sense while New Zealand was short 4000 nurses and hospitals were under pressure.

“The justification for not putting nurses on the fast track simply makes no sense, with documents revealing that the entire policy relied on flawed advice on the possibility of migrant nurses going to Australia after gaining residence," Stanford said in November.

On Monday, she said National had been calling for nurses to be added to the Green List since September last year, and for midwives and teachers to also be included since May.

"National welcomes the changes, but there is no excuse for the delays that have only added strain to the already overwhelmed healthcare system."

In May, then-Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said the Green List would help rebalance the immigration system by attracting skilled labour to fill vacancies in engineering, health and ICT.

The Government later signalled it would be reviewing the Green List, with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment acknowledging the list was "established in a tight timeframe, which did not allow widespread consultation with the sector".

Better support for business

Wood said on Monday the new changes would better support businesses to attract the workers they need.

It comes amid predictions of a recession and rising unemployment in the coming months. Wood said the Government was "continuing to pull out all the stops to position ourselves ahead of the pack" despite "some commentators… suggesting that our labour market is starting to lose some of its heat".

As for what impact Monday's announcement would have on inflation, Wood said there was a "genuine" shortage of skills and a balance needed to be struck.

The Reserve Bank had noted while immigration could increase labour supply, migrants would increase demand for things like housing and infrastructure.

The Government announced employers applying to use the Accredited Employer Work Visa for the first time by July 4 next year will automatically have their accreditation extended by 12 months.

BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope welcomed the announcement, saying residency pathways are a "critical factor" in making New Zealand an attractive place for migrants.

"Pushing out accreditation will save an estimated $30 million in compliance costs next year for business," he said.

"There are more jobs to be added to the list, but it is positive to see Government moving faster than the scheduled one-year review, as per BusinessNZ’s advocacy."

The Green List will be reviewed again in mid-2023.

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