Residency for hospitality workers in NZ

Migrant workers play an important role in the hospitality industry in New Zealand. They make a valuable contribution by bringing their skill to us in 

• in cafes, restaurants, takeaway outlets
• catering businesses
• pubs, taverns and bars
• hotels, motels and backpackers.

Migrants can either work in hospitality in New Zealand on a residence class visa or a temporary work visa. 

• Holders of residence class visas can work and live in New Zealand indefinitely.
• Holders of temporary work visas can work and live in New Zealand for a set period of time.

Thanks to new residency rules announced by the government in 2001, migrant hospitality workers in Queenstown on Essential Skills Visas can now put down roots. It is hoped the one-off Resident Visa will encourage many of our highly valued hospitality workers in Queenstown to settle permanently here in New Zealand.

In fact, since phase 1 of the application process opened on December 1, 2021, by mid-February more than 12,500 people have become residents under this new policy. 

IDESI LEGAL can assist you. The team of immigration lawyers at IDESI LEGAL has the training and experience to help with all types of New Zealand residency visa applications. Call us on 09 283 0157.

Migrant hospitality workers are vital for Queenstown, Arrowtown and Wanaka

The one-off Resident Visa is a simplified pathway to residency in NZ that could be life changing for as many as 165,000 migrants to New Zealand. The new rules provide a pathway for hospitality workers on different working visas, who were in New Zealand on September 29, to gain residency. The visas include the Essential Skills Visa, which many Queenstown based hospitality workers hold, as well as the Skills Shortage Visa, Post Study Work Visa and Accredited Employer Work Visa.

Working in a ‘specified role in primary industries’ listed on a government ‘scare list’ is one of the criteria for being eligible for the new Resident Visa announced in 2021.

Hospitality workers are on this list: 

Life in New Zealand for Otago-based migrant hospitality workers

The stress many migrant hospitality workers in Queenstown have been under, worrying about their job and living situation, has been extraordinary.

Attaining residency could lessen that stress and provide access to opportunities to upskill without having to pay the higher fees charged to migrant learners. It also means being able to visit friends and family outside New Zealand without having worry about losing a resident visa for being out of the country for too long or for losing a job.

From March 1, 2022, the second round of applications for resident visas opens. That means up to 10,500 people who were eligible to apply for a 2021 Resident Visa from March 1, 2022, will be able to apply.

One off 2021 resident visa NZ, what could go wrong?

As a hospitality worker, you fulfil a specified primary sector job. If you have been in New Zealand for 821 days or more between September 29, 2018, and September 29, 2021, you are eligible to apply for a one-off 2021 Resident Visa.

Getting a one off 2021 resident visa for NZ should be straightforward, right? Not necessarily.

Not everyone will qualify. Even though it has been presented as guaranteeing residency to virtually all applicants, getting a one off 2021 Residence Visa is not automatic.

Qualifications and restrictions will need to be met and it is vital that your application is prepared correctly. A badly completed application could mean a ‘decline’.

If you fill in the application form in a rush and therefore provide incorrect answers, for instance to questions about health, character, or family members, INZ will see that incorrect answer as ‘false and misleading information’, which is a reason to decline your application.

I’ll get my boss to help me

Many employers like to help new migrants with their move to New Zealand and the immigration process, which can be wonderful. Or is it? 

Not necessarily. In New Zealand, employers cannot provide immigration advice. The Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 protects the interests of people receiving immigration advice. Under the Act, anyone giving immigration advice must be licensed, which of course our Auckland immigration lawyers are.

We recommend that all migrants who are serious about gaining residency in NZ have qualified legal representation throughout the residency visa application process. Our immigration lawyers can manage all details through the entire process.

If you’re working in Queenstown, Arrowtown, Wanaka, Te Anau, or Fiordland call us on 09 283 0157. IDESI LEGAL specialises in New Zealand immigration law. We have the staff, experience and expertise to help you successfully apply for New Zealand residency.

We can connect right across Otago

Even if we can’t meet face to face, we can still connect and help. Our team of Auckland immigration lawyers can connect with you online and work with you using video calls. IDESI LEGAL uses Microsoft Teams, so we can help you with your visa application wherever you are in Otago. We’ll send you a link, you click on it, and we’ll do the rest.

Call us on 09 283 0157 to set up a meeting.

Are all hospitality workers guaranteed New Zealand Residence Visa?

NZ Resident Visa applicants must also meet one of the following criteria:

• have lived in New Zealand for three or more years, or
• earn above the median wage ($27 per hour or more), or
• health, police and security criteria must be met. If you have provided a medical certificate within the last 36 months, however, and we’re assessed as having an acceptable standard of health, you do not need to provide a further medical certificate. 

Are family members eligible?

• Dependent children who have turned 25 may still have an opportunity to be included in their parents’ application.
• Family offshore can be included. Partners and spouses will still need to prove an ongoing relationship with the New Zealand based applicant.

Our Auckland immigration lawyers can accurately assess and advise whether family members both within and outside New Zealand can be included in your application.

Application dates

The cut-off date to apply is 31 July 2022. If you need help, or are unsure what paperwork is required, we can help. 

How much does the new visa cost?

The application fee is $2,160 including GST and the immigration levy.