SR6.15 Requirements for 24 months of work in New Zealand in a Care Workforce sector role (26/06/2024)

1. Applicants must have worked for at least 24 months in New Zealand in an occupation on the Care Workforce sector occupation list in Appendix 14, on and after 29 September 2021.
2. To be considered as having worked in a Care Workforce sector occupation, applicants must be paid at or above the wage rate specified at SR6.15(k) or the equivalent salary for the duration of the 24 month period.
3. For the 24 months of work in New Zealand, applicants must have been working full-time (at least 30 hours a week) in a Care Workforce sector occupation listed in Appendix 14 and held one of the following visas:
   1. any work visa; or
   2. a critical purpose visitor visa with work conditions; or
   3. an interim visa granted while the applicant held a work visa or a critical purpose visitor visa with work conditions and had applied for a further work visa.
4. The 24 months of work must be gained during the 30-month period immediately before the date the residence application is made.
5. The 24 month period will start to be counted when the applicant’s remuneration is at or above the wage rate specified at SR6.15(k) or the equivalent salary at that time (provided they hold a visa described (c) above).
6. The 24 month period (while earning the specified hourly rate) will stop being counted if:
   1. the applicant ceases to hold one of the visas listed in (c) above; or
   2. the applicant changes employment and their new income is below SR6.15(k) or the equivalent salary at that time; or
   3. the applicant’s remuneration decreases, and the new rate is below SR6.15(k) or the equivalent salary at that time.
7. For the avoidance of doubt, work experience for Care workforce will continue being counted if the specified hourly wage rate in immigration instructions increases as long as the applicant’s income does not decrease below the hourly rate that applied when their visa was granted and they have not changed employment.

   Note: For SR6.15 (g), for example, a personal care assistant must be paid an hourly rate of $28.25. An applicant can start counting work experience from 29 September 2021 if they earn $27 an hour (the wage rate in effect at the time). When the wage requirement increases to $28.25 an hour on 1 July 2022, they can keep counting their work experience if they are still in the same job earning $27 an hour.

8. For the purpose of these instructions, any leave consistent with section 16 of the Holidays Act 2003 (including parental leave and ACC leave) taken during a period of work in New Zealand in a Care Workforce sector role can be counted.
9. Despite (a) above, where an occupation is removed from the Care Workforce sector occupation list in Appendix 14, after the applicant has started to count work in New Zealand towards the 24 months required, the work can continue to be counted if:
   1. the applicant remains in the occupation; and
   2. continues to be paid at or above the wage rate specified at SR6.15(k) or the equivalent salary in a Care Workforce sector occupation for the duration of the 24 month period.
10. If an applicant has worked in New Zealand for at least 24 months in the last 30 month period but has not maintained a role in a Care Workforce sector occupation for the full 24 months, they can still been considered for the grant of residence if they meet the acceptable work in New Zealand requirements for the balance of the 24 months in one or more of the following:
    1. the Green List: Work to Residence visa (SR5.15); or
    2. the Transport Sector Work to Residence visa (SR7.15); or
    3. work in New Zealand earning at least twice the median wage (SR5.20).

       Note: The 24 months of work in New Zealand does not have to be gained consecutively and can be a total of different periods, for example two 12-month periods with a gap of six months between. Additionally, it can be made up of different types of work in New Zealand, for example 18 months in a Care Workforce sector occupation and six months in a Tier 2 Green List role.

11. Wage rates in effect for the Care Workforce sector Work to Residence category across time are:

Effective 26/06/2024