2018-Apr 06: Variation of Conditions – Declared Labour Shortage in the Tasman Region

Visa Pak 351 - Declared Labour Shortage in the Tasman Region.

Visa Paks

06 April 2018

Variation of Conditions – Declared Labour Shortage in the Tasman Region

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) may approve a Variation of Conditions (VOC) for holders of visitor visas for a maximum duration of six weeks to undertake seasonal work in any region where the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has declared a seasonal labour shortage.

Seasonal work includes planting, maintaining, harvesting and picking crops in the horticulture or viticulture industries.

The MSD has declared a labour shortage in the Tasman region from 5 April 2018 to 18 May 2018.

Process

Applications for work in the Tasman region received by NADO will be lodged as a priority and sent to Christchurch for processing. Applications which are received in other offices should be lodged and processed in that office.  Due to the short term nature of the labour shortage, it is recommended that any applications received are processed as a priority.

When processing VOC applications under instructions E3.26.5, Immigration Officers must ensure that the following lodgement requirements are met:

• Variation of Conditions Application Form
• Fee
• Passport
• Must be on a valid visitor visa (any category.

These applications must be lodged under the special category in AMS – Visa, Visitor, Vary Conditions Hort/Vit

Visa label conditions

Please ensure that the following conditions are entered on the visa label:

“The holder may undertake seasonal work for any horticulture/viticulture employer in the Tasman region from 5 April 2018 to 18 May 2018”.

It has also been confirmed that a VOC can be granted for up to six weeks as long as the VOC application is accepted before the end of the labour shortage period.

Dual location visa label conditions

Should an applicant specifically request to be issued a visa to undertake seasonal shortage employment in both the Hawkes Bay and Tasman region then instructions do allow for this. As space on a visa label is limited, in this situation it would be appropriate to issue an e-visa so that detailed information can be provided in the letter about both the Hawke’s Bay and the Tasman region shortage timeframes.  Note the timeframe for the Hawke’s Bay is from 12 March to 29 April 2018. The timeframe for the Tasman region is from 5 April to 18 May 2018.

Further VOCs as an exception to instructions

E3.26.5 states that the applicant may be granted a VOC provided the applicant has not been granted a VOC for this purpose since their most recent entry to New Zealand. If an applicant has already been granted a VOC to allow them to undertake seasonal work as part of a declared labour shortage Immigration Officers may consider granting a further VOC as an exception to instructions.