Immigration minister's warning comes amid rising unemployment
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has warned employers they could be barred from hiring migrant workers if they don't try hard enough to employ local employees first, according to reports.
Stanford issued the warning during the Association for Migration and Investment's annual conference, Radio New Zealand reported.
"It is not negotiable for employers to not work with MSD (Ministry of Social Development) in good faith and try to employ New Zealanders into skilled roles first," the minister said as quoted by RNZ.
"I've been very clear with Immigration New Zealand that where employers do not do so, I am comfortable with their accreditation being revoked. If they can't find someone, then they can apply for a job check. But they need to do that in good faith."
Undergoing job check
In New Zealand, employers seeking to hire migrant workers need to undergo a job check stage to ensure that the positions they wish to fill cannot be filled by suitable local talent.
But Stanford said around 17% of job checks for level 4 and 5 roles between March and July did not meet the requirements for engaging with MSD.
"In around five per cent of these cases, the employer had a warning-level concern, such as differences between the job details provided to MSD and subsequently to INZ for the job check," she said as quoted by RNZ.
"And around 11% resulted in a revocation referral letter concern level, as when there was an employer who hadn't actually gone to MSD at all."
Changing economic context
She made the remarks as many migrants on visas with three-year maximum stays are expected to see their visas expire in the next few months, with the country's unemployment rate recently rising to 5.2% in the June 2025 quarter.
"The economic context in New Zealand has changed significantly since 2022 when the borders reopened," Stanford said as quoted by RNZ.
"And if a migrant is reaching the end of their three-year visa and they're not eligible for another visa, then they will need to leave New Zealand and these employers will need to genuinely look to recruit New Zealanders into these roles."
Skills shortages continue to plague New Zealand's employers, according to recent findings from recruitment firm Working In.
It found that 87% of employers are struggling to fill roles locally, and 74.87% are planning to recruit migrant workers over the next three years.
