Govt Expands Open Work Rights For Migrant Workers' Partners

The New Zealand Government has announced changes to work visa regulations, granting more partners of migrant workers open work rights, effective from 2 December 2024. These changes aim to support family unity and help fill gaps in sectors facing skill and labour shortages across the country.

The new policy will allow the partners of Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders in specified roles to work for any employer, providing greater flexibility and opportunities for migrant families. Specifically, open work rights will be available to:

• From 2 December 2024, open work rights will be available to:

  • all partners of Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) working in an Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) Level 1-3 role and earning at least NZD$25.29 an hour (80 percent of the standard median wage)
  • partners of AEWV holders earning at least $25.29 an hour if they were already supporting a partner for a work visa on 26 June 2024
  • all partners of Essential Skills work visa holders earning at least $25.29 an hour.

  Furthermore, open work rights will be available to partners of AEWV holders working in an ANZSCO Level 4-5 role:

  • earning at least $47.41 an hour (150 percent of the standard median wage), or
  • earning at least $31.61 an hour in a role on the Green List and meeting the Green List requirements for that role, or
  • earning at least $25.29 an hour (80 percent of the standard median wage) and meeting the requirements of a role in the Transport or Care Sector Agreements (or the wage specified in the sector agreement, whichever is higher).

ANZSCO is the classification system used to rank occupations by skill level, with Level 1 representing highly skilled roles and Level 5 being the least skilled.

Current holders of partner work visas with specific employment conditions will have the opportunity to apply for a variation of conditions, allowing them to switch to open work rights if their partner meets the eligibility criteria under the new guidelines.

Eligible applicants will be able to apply for a variation of conditions or a new work visa starting from 2 December 2024. These changes are expected to make it easier for families to stay together while addressing the ongoing need for skilled workers in key sectors across New Zealand.