UPDATED - Visa and accreditation article for Practice News

Recruiting GPs internationally This information from Immigration NZ and medical recruitment company Good Together is relevant for general practices considering the recruitment of GPs from offshore.

The government is introducing a temporary work visa called the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), which will replace other visas that doctors would have previously applied for such as the Critical Purpose or Essential Skills Work Visas.

This visa is an employer-led, 3-step process, which could be described as a WOF for employers. The key message is that all employers must be accredited to hire migrants on AEWVs. The level of accreditation (standard vs high volume) will be dependent on how many migrants employers will be employing at any one time; the accreditation fee will be charged accordingly.

The three steps that must be completed (in sequence) are: 1) Employer check (employer led) 2) Job check (employer led) 3) Migrant check (migrant led) When all three steps are completed, the AEWV can be issued and the migrant employee hired.

Minimum requirements for ALL employers include: • Demonstrating a viable and genuinely operating business (IRD registered, NZBN) • Complete settlement support activities • Comply with immigration, business, and employment standards • Pay recruitment costs • Complete employer online learning modules • Allow employees to complete online learning modules KEY DATES 23 May 2022 – Online applications for employer check open 20 June 2022 – Online applications for job check open 3 July 2022 – Applications for Essential Skills Work Visa closes 4 July 2022 – Mandatory employer check and job check 4 July 2022 – Online applications for migrant check open Things to consider Overseas trained doctors who are currently in NZ on another temporary visa, such as the Essential Skills Work Visa, can continue to work under the conditions of their current visa until it expires (or they no longer meet the conditions of the visa). It is recommended that employers don’t pursue accreditation until they are planning to hire a migrant on an AEWV. Click here for more information about employer accreditation. This covers the requirements employers will need to meet and the evidence they may need to provide.

For most employers, accreditation will be simple and Immigration NZ will work to process applications quicky.

AIMS Global are immigration advisors and educators who provide excellent updates on the AEWV process. Here is a recent article which summarises AEWV which is helpful to read alongside the information above.

Any upcoming webinars related to the AEWV will be posted on the Good Together LinkedIn page which you can follow here, or the Facebook Page which you can follow here.

Click here for a helpful guide from Good Together which summarises the process and associated costs of recruiting a doctor from overseas, and some FAQs. NOTE for international doctors currently in NZ: 31 July 2022 is the cut off application for the 2021 work visa which is a resident pathway for those here on a Critical Purpose Visa. It is a very good opportunity that should be considered by any international doctors who are looking to stay permanently. It is a one-off opportunity that was created to alleviate the backlog of those waiting for residency and it is unlikely that it will be offered again.