Federated Farmers say Santa Claus needs to move over, because it’s Immigration Minister Erica Stanford who is really delivering for farmers this Christmas.

Earlier today Stanford announced important immigration reforms that include much-needed changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa requirements.

"These changes are a significant step forward and will be welcome news for many farming families across New Zealand," Federated Farmers immigration spokesperson Richard McIntyre says.

"It’s been an incredibly tough few seasons, with huge pressure on farmers who have been unable to find the staff they need to run their businesses.

"Federated Farmers have raised concerns directly with the Minister, she’s listened, and now she’s made some changes that will make a real difference on the ground."

The critical changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa settings include:

• Removing the requirement to pay new migrant staff at least the median wage ($31.61/hour), which made no sense for entry-level positions.
• Streamlining Ministry of Social Development requirements, and removing the 21-day mandatory waiting period, to improve the speed of processing times.
• Extending the duration of visas for ANZSCO level 4 or 5 roles to three years, up from two years plus a one-year extension previously.
• Reducing work experience requirements for skilled migrant staff from three years down to two years, increasing the pool of farm workers who qualify.

"These are big changes that will have a meaningful impact for the upcoming farming season, particularly during busy periods like calving and lambing," McIntyre says.

"It never made any sense to have to pay what are essentially entry-level farming staff the median wage, particularly when that’s more than what a Kiwi in the same role would be earning

"All that did was inflate the wage bill for farmers who were already under huge pressure, desperate to find staff, and couldn’t find any suitable Kiwis who wanted to do the work."

McIntyre is particularly pleased to see the length of visas for ANZSCO level 4 or 5 roles extended to three years - a shift Federated Farmers had specifically requested.

"What this means is a staff member can stay in the country for three years on one single visa, instead of needing two visas by the time you apply for the one-year extension," he says.

"This will cut thousands of dollars in costs for farmers, but will also mean a lot less stress and uncertainty for both the farmer and the employee who just want to get on with their farming."

Federated Farmers welcome the changes announced by the Minister and look forward to engaging constructively with her on these issues in the New Year.

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