Members of the NZ Indian Business Association have been actively engaged in reviewing the recent changes announced by
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, on April 7, 2024. These changes, effective immediately, have garnered cautious
appreciation from business members. However, there are concerns regarding the time frames associated with the various
stages of the AEWV process, which could extend up to 6 months for hiring a migrant worker.
Though there was a need for a comprehensive review to address exploitative practices in the industry, there is
apprehension that genuine employers might miss out on the opportunity to extend genuine employment offers to eligible
workers, whether onshore or offshore. It would have been advisable to consider concessions for hiring migrant workers
already present in the country, as the current policy might disadvantage such individuals who are actively seeking
employment, and are readily employable.
Furthermore, the updated policy document does not address the longstanding demand to replace the Median Wage Rate with
the Market Rate, which is proving unsustainable for the majority of the small businesses in the retail and primary
sectors.
While the policy change is expected to effectively target rogue elements in the industry, enhancing efficiency in the
application processing by reducing time frames and considering waivers for the Median Wage Rate requirement would render
the policy more pragmatic.
Jaspreet S Kandhari
(General Secretary)NZ Indian Business Association (Inc)