From 7 October 2024, accredited employers must engage directly with Work and Income for most ANZSCO Level 4 or 5 vacancies at the Job Check stage.
Removing the ability for immigration professionals to engage with Work and Income on behalf of employers will encourage employers to genuinely test the domestic labour market before looking to hire a migrant worker, improving the integrity of the Labour Market Test.
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 also providing immigration advice on your Job Check application.
This change will improve the current processes and ensure that the people engaging with Work and Income are the ones responsible for hiring someone or have knowledge about the type of employee that is needed. This will promote better engagement between an employer and Work and Income to test whether there are suitable and available New Zealanders 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.
News source: Employers to lead Work and Income engagement | Immigration New Zealand
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