26 July 2023
Adam Irish
[FYI request #23227 email]
DOIA 2223-2993
Tēnā koe Adam
Thank you for your correspondence of 23 June 2023, to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment (MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the fol owing:
“I am writing to inquire about the basis on which the NZ Treasury has established a visa program
with the INZ (Immigration New Zealand). Specifically, I would like to understand how the Treasury
claims to meet the requirements for addressing skil s shortages when there are numerous public
servants currently employed in similar job titles and receiving comparable or lower wages. The
examples provided below il ustrate this concern:
Role 85% of Band 100% of Band
Senior Analyst $121,359 $142,775
Principal Advisor $163,245, $192,053
To gain a better understanding of the NZ Treasury's visa program and its claims to the INZ, I kindly
request the fol owing information:
Application details: Could you please provide me with the specific details of the NZ Treasury's visa
program application? This includes any relevant documentation, forms, or procedures required for
their application.
Claims to INZ: I would appreciate it if you could outline the claims made by the NZ Treasury to the
INZ regarding their visa program. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how they justify
their eligibility to address the skil s shortage through this program.”
Our response
“Could you please provide me with the specific details of the NZ Treasury's visa program application?
This includes any relevant documentation, forms, or procedures required for their application”.
New Zealand employers can apply for accreditation, which allows them to hire migrants on an accredited
employer work visas for up to three years. Prior to a migrant applying for an accredited employer work
visa, the employer must become accredited and complete a job check. The job check (which can cover
multiple positions for the same role), involves advertising the role to ensure that there are no suitable New
Zealand citizens or residents that could be hired or trained before they offer the role to someone from
overseas.
Detailed information relating to the three stages of the Accredited Employer process (employer
accreditation, job check and accredited employer work visa), including the relevant documentation and
information that needs to be provided by the employer at both the accreditation and job check stages can
be found on the Immigration New Zealand website:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/employ-
migrants/new-employer-accreditation-and-work-visa/why-we-ask-you-to-be-accredited-and-do-a-job-
check
“I would appreciate it if you could outline the claims made by the NZ Treasury to the INZ regarding their
visa program. Specifical y, I am interested in understanding how they justify their eligibility to address
the skil s shortage through this program”.
Since becoming accredited, four job checks covering three roles have been submitted by the Treasury and
approved. Undertaking a labour market test is part of the job check assessment and seeks to ensure an
employer has made genuine attempts to attract and recruit suitable New Zealand workers by adequately
advertising the job.
Please see below excerpts from the four job check assessments which detail the claims made to
Immigration New Zealand by the New Zealand Treasury:
Role: Senior Analysts
This Job check was approved on 5 July 2022.
Documents and information submitted relating to the labour market test assessment included a job
description which detailed the skills and experience needed, an offer letter and individual employment
agreement which included non-standard terms and conditions. Advertising was declared to have taken
place on Seek, LinkedIn Jobs, Jobs.co.nz and on the Treasury website, with the length of period declared to
have met the 14 day requirement prior to the Job Check application being submitted. 16 applications were
received, 10 of which were from New Zealand citizens or residents, no applicants were deemed suitable
for the job.
Model ing Specialists Job Check
This Job Check was approved on 7 September 2022.
Documents and information considered as part of the labour market test assessment included a description
which detailed the skil s and experience needed, an offer letter and individual employment agreement
which included non-standard terms and conditions. Advertising was declared to have taken place on Seek,
LinkedIn Jobs, Jobs.co.nz and on the Treasury website, with the length of period declared to have met the
14 day requirement prior to the Job Check application being submitted. 33 applications were received, 16
of which were from New Zealand citizens or residents, no applicants were deemed suitable for the job.
Analysts Job Check
This Job Check was approved on 14 October 2022
Documents and information considered as part of the labour market test assessment included a job
description which detailed the skills and experience needed, an offer letter and individual employment
agreement which included non-standard terms and conditions. Advertising was declared to have taken
place on Seek, LinkedIn Jobs, Jobs.co.nz and on the Treasury website, with the length of period declared to
have met the 14 day requirement prior to the Job Check application being submitted. 11 applications were
received, six of which were from New Zealand citizens or residents, no applicants were deemed suitable
for the job.
Senior Analysts Job Check
This Job Check was approved on 16 February 2023.
Documents and information considered as part of the labour market test assessment included a description
which detailed the skil s and experience needed, an offer letter and individual employment agreement
which included non-standard terms and conditions. A copy of the advertisement details has been provided;
however, a system error has unfortunately not generated the advertising section for this Job Check
application.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the Ministry’s response to
your request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. Information about how to make a complaint is
available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact
[email address]
Nāku iti nei, nā
Michael Carley
(Acting) Principal Advisor, Visa Operations, on behalf of Chief Operating Officer
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovations and Employment
