Local workers and businesses are celebrating changes to essential skills visas announced by the government.

At the beginning of this week (Monday July 19), the maximum duration of essential skills visas, for jobs paid below the median wage, increased from 12 months to 24 months. 

A new, streamlined application process was also announced which will benefit visa holders.

“The decision to extend essential skills visas and simplify application processes is the next step [after business support], and will be welcomed by sectors like tourism and hospitality where employers are keen to retain their current migrant workers,” tourism minister Stuart Nash said.

According to the Queenstown Lakes district annual economic profile, cafés and restaurants were second in the ranking of largest employing industries, contributing 6.9 per cent of the overall total. Pubs, taverns and bars were eighth (two per cent of the total) and cleaning services at tenth (1.6 per cent of the total).

Annie Muir works at Kai Whakapai and she has had an extension to her essential skills visa granted. 

“It was great, the whole visa process is stressful and expensive, so it’s made it slightly less so.”

“I think without it there would be no workers, there are tonnes of people in hospitality in this town, a huge percentage are sponsored and there aren't the same number of people coming through town that want to stay. Tourists leave, so without it Wanaka businesses would be really struggling,” Annie told the Wanaka App. 

Under the new changes, employers won’t be required to complete a labour market test where a worker is applying for a visa for a full time role which the worker already holds. These applicants also won’t need to provide medical and police certificates to Immigration New Zealand if that information has been supplied previously.

A labour market test will still be required where employers are filling a job vacancy to prove there are no New Zealanders available before a migrant worker can be hired.

Double Black Café manager Anne Piffard said the changes reduced stress significantly.

“It helps big time when dealing with staff’s visa applications, it takes the pressure off; there's a lot of new cafés opening so there’s so many jobs going and if people don’t have the visa then we can’t fill the job.”

The changes complement the recent extension granted for around 10,000 working holiday and supplementary seasonal employment visa holders.

Essential skills visas are available to individuals who are offered full-time employment (30+ hours) in New Zealand and can meet other eligibility requirements. The majority of essential skills visa holders work in the service sector which includes tourism, hospitality and retail. 

PHOTO: Supplied