This is a major policy change to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme, representing a significant tightening of work visa criteria and directly impacting roughly half of all AEWV applications. Previously, under skill levels 4 and 5, the requirement only applied to about 16% of applications.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford stated that the expanded mandate “ensures workers can fully understand their rights and seamlessly engage with their workplaces and communities.”

Additionally, according to Stanford, the policy aims to lay the groundwork for two new skilled residence pathways launching in August, granting mid-skilled migrants up to five years to achieve the higher language proficiency required for residency.

 

Read more HERE.