2016-Feb 12: Queenstown Lakes Occupation Exemption List

Visa Pak 246 - Reminder about Queenstown Lakes Occupation Exemption List

Visa Paks

12 February 2016
 
The Queenstown Lakes District Occupation Exemption List was established in 2015 to identify occupations that do not require a labour market check or skills match report from Work and Income. Because of the low unemployment rate in the region, Work and Income have already established that they are unable to supply candidates for those roles. The Queenstown region is defined by the Queenstown Lakes District Council including Wanaka, Glenorchy and Kingstown.

The list has been updated based on feedback from employers and Immigration New Zealand staff that use the list to help determine whether the labour market test has been satisfied for essential skills applications.

The primary differences are that the job titles are now aligned with the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) and the relevant ANZSCO numbers have been included. This should clarify any ambiguity that previously existed for users of the list when trying to determine if it is necessary to engage with Work and Income. Other changes include removing duplicate roles and ensuring the layout is more accessible.

Please note however that all employers supporting Essential Skills work visa applications for occupations which are not on any skill shortage lists are still required to make genuine attempts to recruit New Zealanders, for example by advertising. Refer to the Queenstown Employer Guide for more information.

[The Queenstown Lakes District Occupation Exemption List was previously available on the Work and Income website, but is no longer available. Sorry for any inconvenience.]

Queenstown employer guide [PDF, 340KB]

Action

Please discuss the above with your team(s), particularly if they are likely to be making decisions on visa applications where the employer is based in Queenstown.