It is clearly an election year, and immigration has taken centre stage in much of the debate running up to the big day in November. Immigration is one of those topics that gets pretty good political traction when you are trying to stir up votes. Unfortunately, the attention tends to focus on the negative, rather than the positive.
So far, we have had a new citizenship test announced, which in fairness seems to be the sort of test that would almost be impossible to fail (particularly if you have six attempts at it), changes to our English language requirements for some work visa applicants and a few campaign announcements on the “direction of travel”, being interpreted broadly as “toughening up”.
This, however, overshadows the big changes to the Skilled Migrant Category coming in August 2026, which will open two entirely new residence pathways for trades and technicians and those with good work experience. Two categories of migrant left out of the residence program up until now.
The reality is that most of what we will hear about immigration in the run-up to November will be noise, with very little substance. New Zealand continues to need good, skilled applicants in a variety of sectors and whilst there will be tweaks and adjustments, the pathway for those applicants will remain largely unchanged.
Updated English Requirements
One change that has caused a bit of a stir is the recent update to English language requirements for Work Visa applicants. Up until very recently, only those applying for Work Visas to take up skill level four or five roles were required to provide evidence of an English test (or an exemption if applicable).
The rationale behind these tests was to ensure that those entering our labour market at lower skill levels had a strong enough command of English to be able to function in society, even if English wasn’t necessarily required for the work they were doing.
That makes a lot of sense, considering those who come here to work still have to interact with other services (health, social services, justice, etc.) and obviously need to be able to communicate in English to do so.
The Government has, however, extended that requirement to those coming to take up skill level three roles now as well. Skill level three positions represent the largest group of Work Visa applicants, and so the Government has decided to extend the English requirement to them.
August Skilled Migrant Category Changes
Interestingly, while the media has been caught up in citizenship tests, English language and the various political parties rolling out their future approaches to immigration policy, one major, upcoming change has taken a backseat.
On 24 August 2026, the Government will introduce two new pathways to residence for skilled migrants, which will fill the existing gap that exists for tradespeople and technicians and those applicants with great work experience, but no formal degree.
This represents a fairly big shift in our SMC program and a clear signal that New Zealand is still keen on attracting good-quality skilled applicants and retaining them for the long term.
For migrants, these new settings will require a bit of research and understanding, but for businesses looking to retain talent, it will also be important to make sure that staff have access to good, sound advice to help them navigate through these potential pathways.
For employers, the AEWV pathway now has far more options for applicants who intend to remain permanently, meaning that if you engage with staff through the temporary work visa route (AEWV), many of them will now have a pathway to remain here indefinitely.
Whilst there is administration involved with the Accreditation and AEWV option, it can often be a very powerful way to access a significant pool of offshore talent.
About the Author
Paul Janssen is the Manager of Turner Hopkins Services, a specialist New Zealand immigration consultancy, based in Takapuna, Auckland. Paul is fully licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority and has nearly twenty years of industry experience, assisting families, individuals, and businesses to navigate the complexities of the visa system.
Paul and his team work together with their clients, providing realistic and practical advice in a timely and easy to understand manner. Identifying issues at the outset, mapping out the steps involved and managing all aspects of the relocation process.