32 Health Sector Roles added to Straight to Residence Pathway
The government has announced the addition of 32 new health sector roles to the Straight to Residence pathway of the Green List, in an effort to prepare the country's health system for the upcoming winter.
The move comes as the world is currently facing a global health worker shortage, making it essential for New Zealand's immigration settings to present a competitive offer to attract health workers to the country.
Immigration Minister Michael Wood and Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall jointly made the announcement, stating that they had listened to the health sector, and the changes ensure that immigration settings are as helpful and competitive as possible.
The 32 new health roles being added to the Green List's Straight to Residence pathway span across the wider health sector, including enrolled nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists and dental technicians, MRI scanning technologists, paramedics, optometrists, pharmacists, and counsellors.
The Green List already includes midwives and registered nurses, which were added in December 2022, and last month alone, almost 900 overseas nurses applied to register to work in New Zealand.
The immigration settings will be among the most competitive in the world, and along with better wages for nurses and immigration support, they will positively influence the number of health workers who come to New Zealand.
In addition to the health sector roles, the Green List also includes roles that contribute to the wellbeing of Kiwi families, such as social services, education, and justice, which are critical to health service delivery in New Zealand.
The Government has also extended the transport sector agreement to skippers and deckhands, following discussions with the sector.
The government is providing a time-limited pathway to residence for skippers piloting boats essential to public transport routes, the supply chain, along with tourism operators, and other operators who use skippers and deckhands.
The final details of the transport sector agreement will be confirmed shortly, with implementation expected to begin from late May.
