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Partner Work Visa Update
Immigration NZ previously advised that they will be changing partnership-based visas for partners of those holding NZ work visas. We now have confirmation from INZ about how these changes, in effect on 31 May 2023, will work.
The changes only affect partners of Accredited Employer Work Visa holders and Essential Skills Work Visa holders.
- If you apply for a partnership-based work visa based on your relationship with a work visa holder on or before 30 May 2023, you will be eligible to apply for a work visa for the same length as the work visa holder. This is what is commonly known as an open work visa.
- If you apply for a partnership-based work visa from 31 May 2023, you can still apply for a work visa which is a hybrid ‘open work visa’ because it mandates some additional conditions noted on the visa:
- You can only work for an accredited employer
- You must be paid the median wage ($29.66 as of now); OR,
- If you are working for a sector not required to pay the median wage, you can be paid less than the median wage.
In order to apply for the partnership visa, you as the partner do not need to have a job offer and you can still change employers without advising Immigration NZ.
Therefore, it is still called an ‘open work visa’, albeit with the conditions of working for an accredited employer and a median wage requirement.
These changes do not apply if you are applying for partnership-based work visas with a partner whose occupation is on the Green List or is a NZ citizen or resident. Should your partner hold be a NZ citizen/resident or green list AEWV, then you as the partner have a pure open work visa to work for any employer at any wage.
This news gives migrants three months to prepare a partnership-based work visa under the current conditions but, keep in mind that, with the requirements to provide genuine and stable relationship and living together, the earlier the start on the application preparation, the better.
If you want to ensure your partner gets the opportunity to apply for such a visa, get in contact with our Immigration team here to start the process as soon as possible.
