The New Zealand government has taken steps to improve the immigration system by directing employers to work directly with Work and Income. Work and Income is an organisation within the New Zealand government’s Ministry of Social Development.

Earlier, immigration professionals had to engage with Work and Income on behalf of employers. From October 7, accredited employers will need to engage more directly with Work and Income as part of the test to see whether New Zealanders are available for their role.

Accredited employers have been directed to engage directly with Work and Income for most ANZSCO Level 4 or 5 vacancies at the Job Check stage.

Employers need to advertise or engage with Work and Income about the job if it pays at least NZD$59.32 an hour (twice the February 2023 median wage), or is on the Green List.

The New Zealand government feels that the integrity of the Labour Market Test will be improved if immigration specialists are prohibited from interacting with Work and Income on behalf of employers. This will push employers to thoroughly examine the domestic labor market before considering the hiring of a migrant worker.

The Government is making this change because, where Work and Income only have an immigration professional’s contact details, it has been difficult for them to engage with the employer about potential job applicants from New Zealand.

Employers will need to provide Work and Income with a contact person responsible for hiring decisions, such as a hiring manager, human resources manager or owner/operator.

Employers can still use external organisations, such as recruitment agencies, for their Work and Income engagement, as long as they are involved in hiring decisions and not only providing immigration advice on Job Check applications.

This change will improve the current processes and ensure that the people engaging with Work and Income are responsible for hiring someone or know about the type of employee needed. This will promote better engagement between an employer and Work and Income to test whether New Zealanders are suitable and available for a role.

This is part of a wider suite of changes the government is making to temporary work visa settings to address concerns raised by particular sectors and further strengthen the integrity of the immigration system.