Tips for employers

Immigration is always changing, and this can leave you scrambling if something gets missed. Here are some key tips to keep on your business dashboard:

Visa processing usually takes longer than anyone expects. If you are recruiting from overseas or keeping talent longer in New Zealand, apply at least 3 months before a visa expires or a person is required onshore.

• Keep good records of temporary visas and the expiry dates held by your staff. Put reminders in your calendar at least 3 months ahead of when visas expire to make sure everyone is on track to apply for extension or plan for departures.
• If a migrant worker is approaching the end of their maximum continuous stay, start planning now to find a replacement if you know the skills are not available locally.
• Don’t assume you know the market pay rate for a job offer. Talk to one of our advisers before you make a formal job offer.
• Some passports can take 4 to 6 months to renew. If you have non-New Zealand passport holders in your team, they need to apply early if passports are due to expire in 2025 or January to March 2026.
• Sending people to Australia? We have Australian visa experts on our team.
• Travelling overseas. Many countries now require travellers to apply for e-visas or complete an electronic arrival declaration in advance of arrival. A handy website for travel information is IATA.

For anything immigration related talk to our friendly team of experts.  

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