The year 2022 may not augur well for “tens of thousands of temporary migrant workers” who were ordinarily living in New Zealand before being locked out of sudden border closure in March 2020, as the government finally sheds all ambiguity, pretense, and maybe, compassion to ever allow them back into the country.
In news that will break many hearts and shatter many lives of people currently overseas, but not long ago were living and working in New Zealand, in some cases for years, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has told the Indian Weekender that the government has no plans to allow them back into the country on their existing visas.
“There are no plans to extend the temporary visas of migrants currently offshore because of Covid border restrictions,” Minister Faafoi said.
The Minister was responding to the Indian Weekender’s query if the government was planning any relief for tens of thousands of temporary migrant workers who were locked out of NZ borders just by a stroke of luck and had any plans in the beginning of 2022 to allow them back into the country.
“A border exception was created in September 2020 to enable the return of some temporary work visa holders who were overseas and who were normally resident here, having strong, ongoing links to NZ. People who were mostly settled in NZ, with ongoing employment and a place to live, who clearly intended to return in the near future, were prioritised for this border exception.
“A final date was selected for the border exception to avoid people leaving and re-entering New Zealand multiple times as this would have increased pressure on our border and MIQ systems,” Minister Faafoi said.
Notably, after about “tens of thousands of temporary migrant workers ordinarily living and working in NZ” were locked out of sudden closure of borders in March 2020, the government has announced the first and the only relief in September 2020, whereby announcing an “exception” for essential skilled work visa holders and work to residence visa holders, who still had a valid visa and valid employment with their current employers to re-enter NZ.
That “exception” category would have allowed only around 650 temporary migrant workers stuck overseas over a 12-month period, as per Immigration NZ’s own assessments.
Subsequently, until January 11, 2022, Immigration NZ had only allowed 1081 temporary migrants who were normally living and working in NZ.
Further accentuating on what can be construed as an end of the road for temporary migrants stuck overseas, Minister Faafoi said, “It is highly unlikely that people who are still offshore would meet the criteria for the normally resident temporary work visa holder border exception. Those people can either apply to enter NZ through the ‘Other Critical Worker’ visa pathway or can return to NZ when our borders reopen.
Decision not unexpected says, Immigration Lawyer
Immigration Lawyer Alastair McClymont appeared unsurprised with the government’s decision to close doors on temporary migrants locked out of NZ borders.
Speaking to the Indian Weekender McClymont said, “Immigration decisions are made not on the basis of what is fair, or just, or good for families, or business but on the basis of what is politically popular. New Zealanders by and large are happy with the government building an impenetrable wall to keep out Covid and migrants. So is it surprising that the government never had any intention of allowing temporary visa holders back into the country? No, not surprising at all.”
“It must be remembered that in 2017 the Labour Government campaigned partly on reducing nett migration by 20,000 to 30,000. Their immigration policies were also based in a large part on the myth that migrant workers suppress kiwi wage rates and employment opportunities. While this was politically popular, it was always going to be disastrous for businesses that relied so heavily on migrant workers.
The Covid-19 pandemic created the perfect opportunity for the government to then rid themselves of a large number of temporary visa holders whilst at the same time avoiding any criticism of being xenophobic, as they could now claim that keeping temporary visa holders is a necessary measure to protect NZ from Covid, again a position that is politically popular,” McClymont affirmed.
End of road for post-study work visa holders stuck overseas
Of all the categories of temporary work visa holders locked out of NZ borders – now facing an uncertain future – one of the biggest culls will be on the Post Study work visa holders.
Notably, in the pre-Covid era, a vast number of international students who arrived in the country automatically became eligible for two years of post-study work visa to gain NZ work experience and acquire critical skills and experience to progress on Essential skills work visa or employer-supported work visas (now annulled) as a potential pathway to permanent residency in the country.
Two-year post-study work visas have been an integral part of the marketing package designed by the NZ govt agencies to attract international students from the Indian market, incentivising potential students to choose NZ over other global education destinations.
The sustained and effective marketing campaign around the two-year Post-study work visa has been responsible for the $5 billion strong, thriving international education industry, which supported 50,000 local jobs in the pre-Covid years.
From an international student’s perspective, the two years of work visa rights were critical to gain NZ work experience along with earning an income for themselves after having invested on an average of $20-30,000 in international education.
This is why there has been a fair expectation within the post-study work visa holders who were locked out of NZ borders for no fault of theirs that the government will eventually offer some kind of respite and allow them back in the country and at least let them complete the remaining period of their visas.
However, today’s confirmation by the immigration minister will shatter many hopes and dreams.