Concerns over English test standards in NZ residency pathways for Pacific tradespeople

The government’s new residency pathways have been welcomed as opening the door for more skilled workers. But an immigration expert warns that high English language requirements risk shutting out talented tradespeople.

In an interview on Pacific Mornings, Nick Frost, the Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment, says the recently announced residency changes may provide opportunities for more skilled workers.

But he says the effectiveness of these changes will depend on the details of the actual policy once it is released.

“The association is cautiously optimistic that these are going to be positive introductions,” he says. “However, the devil will be in the details once the actual policy is released.

“We're a bit cautious that the English language settings, for example, might unfairly impact some people, especially from the Pacific Islands, parts of Asia, where the current settings are a little bit too high and unreasonable for the types of occupations that we're looking at here.”

The government introduced two new residence pathways: the Skilled Work Experience and the Trades and Technician pathway.

Immigration advisor Nick Frost. Photo/Supplied

The Skilled Work Experience pathway is for migrants in skilled roles with at least five years of work experience, including at least two years in New Zealand, and does not require a degree for residency.

The Trades and Technician pathway is for migrants in specified skilled trades who hold a Level Four qualification and have four years of post-qualification experience. They must also have worked in New Zealand for at least 18 months, earning a wage at or above the median level.

Watch Nick Frost's full interview below.

Applicants must also achieve an IELTS score of 6.5, which indicates an upper-intermediate level of English proficiency. Frost says this requirement is “completely unreasonable”.

He points to the recent business investor category, which only requires an IELTS score of 5.0 - much closer to conversational English.

Applicants might excel in speaking and listening, but Frost says many struggle with writing and reading, increasing their risk of missing out on residency because of minor spelling mistakes.

Frost calls for consistency in the English language requirements by Immigration New Zealand.

“With the business investor visa, you can expect people would need a reasonable level of English to communicate with business deals, investors and employees,” he says.

“For painters and plasters, we don’t see a reason why people in those trades require university level English to perform their duties.”

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is a government agency responsible for processing and managing all aspects of New Zealand's immigration system, including deciding who can visit, work, study, or live in the country. Photo/Supplied

Despite the concerns, Frost says the announcement does open doors that were previously closed and makes residency more accessible for people who haven’t pursued tertiary education.

But opposition has emerged within the coalition government. New Zealand First has raised concerns that the new pathway could be exploited by applicants as a means to move to Australia.

“We need a system that consistently provides young kiwis with the skills we need domestically, working alongside the education system which fills the skills we need in our industries,” the party statement reads.

“This is not a new issue. While we recognise the importance of retaining some critical workers, we have serious concerns about this unfocussed immigration proposal.”

New Zealand First leader Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

The party says they support extending work visas to meet the short-term demand.

Frost says most migrants he deals with genuinely want to build their lives in New Zealand. “In my personal practice, I have encountered people that want residence so that they can move across to other countries such as Canada and Australia. However, that's very few and far between.

“I don’t see a significant portion of people obtaining residence and then departing the country almost immediately.”