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IMMIGRATION POLICY UPDATE

In the dynamic realm of immigration policies, recent changes announced by INZ (Immigration New Zealand) have left many in the dairy sector seeking clarity. As calls flood in, requesting insights into the implications of these adjustments, we here at The Region's Immigration Law, would like to provide an overview of the changes and how they might affect those of you in the dairy sector.English Proficiency: A Fundamental RequirementOne significant change revolves around the introduction of mandato...

Confused about recent median wage changes in New Zealand?

Here's what you need to know:From 28 February 2024, the New Zealand median wage increased to $31.61.This increase does NOT apply to Accredited Employer Work Visas (AEWV) and AEWV-linked visas such as the Partner of a Worker work visa.Therefore, employees can be paid at $29.66 per hour for an AEWV work visa.Green List - Work to Residence – Herd Manager positionFor any work visas approved after 28 February 2024, if employees qualify as a Herd Manager under the Green List with 3 years of experien...

Protect Yourself From Scammers

We have received several reports from our candidates in recent weeks on receiving phone calls or text messages from fraudulent sources claiming to be calling from Immigration New Zealand.These callers tell the person that there has been a problem with their visa conditions or arrival card information and demand that they pay money into a Western Union account or face serious consequences, such as deportation. These calls are not from Immigration New Zealand.Often the caller has some details of t...

Work Visa Rules Changing – AGAIN!

There are some significant policy changes on the horizon for the New Zealand Work Visa, and we want to make sure you're well-informed.As a recruitment company specialising in the agriculture industry, we understand the importance of staying ahead of these changes to ensure the ongoing success of your farming operations....

Celebrating 5 years… and we’re just getting started

Support, Adapt, Grow – and grow we have. September marks five years since The Regions Immigration Law and Recruitment was founded for the betterment of New Zealand. And 10 years since The Regions’ Founder and Managing Director, Ben De’Ath began serving NZ’s dairy sector. It’s been a decade of advocacy, representation and advancement, and five years delivering on ourmission: “To enable New Zealand’s rural communities, dairy farm owners, and managers to attract and retain top talent....

Migrants swap NZ for certainty

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Dairy NZ Timeline

This timeline outlines Dairy NZ’s participation as lead implementation agency for Dairy Sector Border Class Exemption The Dairy Industry’s border quota is not going well, and Dairy NZ have suggested the solution is that farms pay $38 per hour to junior staff, while Dairy NZ are not willing to address how they got this so wrong, and are offering no remedies to those let down by this, we are calling for action & accountability from the Dairy NZ board. Facts: 10 June 2021: Hon Damien O�...

Immigration Policies

Government’s approval of dairy sector support welcomed but planning for the future must continue. The Government’s approval of 200 MIQ beds for dairy workers has been met with relief by immigration and recruitment company, The Regions, but managing director, Ben De’Ath says this is just the beginning of a decade long conversation, which needs to see future Immigration policy better tailored to meet the nations needs. De’Ath, whose company The Regions Immigration Law and Recruitment,...

Dairy Industry MIQ Bed petition

Dairy Industry MIQ Bed petition, seeks 50 beds for dairy farms 50km from the major centres, prior to calving 2021. This petition is now closed - see the petition here....

Press release: Immigration policies opinion piece

It’s not our immigration policies that need a reset but the Government’s broken election promises, writes immigration adviser Ben De’Ath.Like many people who work and interact with our migrant community in some capacity, I was interested to see what all the kerfuffle was about leading up to this week’s ‘announcement’. So, I tuned in and I listened. I pondered what could only be described as a confusing, although eloquently delivered, speech, and then I began to research. I wanted to ...

Calving phenomenon an experience of a lifetime for Jetlou Cezar

As most farms around New Zealand wind down after calving and AB we want to share this awesome story that took place this year.   When Jetlou Cezar came out from The Philippines to establish a career in New Zealand’s agriculture industry, he didn’t expect to witness a calving phenomenon that is rarer than winning Lotto.  During 2020’s calving season, the assistant farm manager of Kaikahu Farm in the Hauraki Plains, helped farm manager, Matty Fisher deliver not one, not two, n...

Press release: Immigration expert commends Horticulture Industry help through working holiday scheme

Seeks comparable action for calving 2021 to help farmers with critical labour shortage Working holiday visa holders without employer sponsorship can pick fruit with no new visa applications, under recently announced extensionQueenstown seminar on Thursday 8 October addressing changes & extensions for working holiday visa holders, and the ongoing shortage of skilled labour in dairy farming industryThe Regions working with agriculture sector to help fill the labour gap on New Zealand dairy farmsIm...

Immigration within the Borders

Immigration expert to discuss the impact of immigration policy on New Zealand’s agricultural labour force. Displaced work visa holders being offered a lifeline by agriculture sectorLong-term effect of closed borders on New Zealand’s rural communities needs to be discussed says immigration expert, Ben De’AthNationwide seminar series to look at impact of immigration policy change on New Zealand’s rural communities and skilled work visa holdersThe long-term effect of closed borders on ...

Retaining your Staff

In such a time of uncertainty The Regions immigration and law discuss the great value of retaining staff.At The Regions, we work with farms, farm workers and their families for better employment opportunities. Traditionally, we have looked overseas to fill these opportunities, but COVID-19 has forced us to embody our values to support, adapt, and grow. The New Zealand border is currently closed to almost all travellers wanting to travel to New Zealand by either air or sea. There are two reasons ...

Getting to the Front of the Queue

While the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic continues and change is apparent, one constant that remains virtually the same is our farming sector. Commentators continue to speculate on the potential losses for New Zealand – farming, the agriculture sector and its communities will be there to lend New Zealand a hand. Robust, resilient, and reaching out for staff, New Zealand’s farming sector offers opportunities. We help the dairy sector and its rural communities fill a generational staffing ...

Immigration (covid-19 response) Amendment Bill

The Regions presents our submission in support of the proposed Immigration (covid-19 response) amendments. Immigration (covid-19 response) Amendment Bill 6th May 2020By email: i.lees-galloway@ministers.govt.nz To whom it may concern, We are an Immigration & Recruitment firm that primarily support the dairy sector. Based on the information available online amidst the Government wage subsidy, we are the largest Immigration firm in NZ by a considerable margin. We are an internal team...

Covid-19: Why I’ve turned to New Zealand’s rural communities for a lesson in coping with adversity

As the Covid-19 crisis continues to unfold, The Regions founders, Ben and Patricia De’Ath, reflect on the things they have learned from New Zealand’s dairy sector, and how, in months to come, we can prepare for the long trek back to normal. "My wife and I are in our mid 30s with two boys and a girl due in a couple of weeks. Our business employs 42 staff and has a few thousand clients across New Zealand. We help the dairy sector and its rural communities fill a generational staffing and human...

Coronavirus: What farmers need to know

Coronavirus – it’s the topic every news outlet, social media channel and radio station is discussing at the moment. And, with the announcement of cases now here in New Zealand, discussion has turned to the potential far-reaching implications the virus, officially dubbed Covid-19, could have for New Zealand’s economy.Here at The Regions, we’ve been following the development of Covid-19 closely. Our country’s reliance on loyal, hardworking migrant farm workers means any border closures o...

Ashburton Grand Opening: celebrating The Regions new office in Canterbury

Where do you find balloons, banter and a whole lot of celebration? At The Regions’ grand opening of our Ashburton Office, that’s where! And, that is certainly what our team enjoyed when the doors to our new Canterbury office opened on Friday 29 November.We have been supporting the South Island farming community since The Regions was founded in 2017, but the time had come to have a more permanent presence. The Central South Island’s growing rural community, and Canterbury’s significant da...

Work visa applicants could finally have skills recognised with latest Immigration NZ review

New Zealand dairy work visa holders are set to be given the long awaited respect they deserve, with Immigration New Zealand’s announcement of a review and pending changes to ANZSCO 841512. This comes as welcome news to our team here at The Regions, after years of us calling for this.ANZSCO 841512 is the code that currently governs the majority of dairy farm work visas and assigns the crude term “low skilled” to temporary work visas. In its current form, ANZSCO 841512, acts as a block to re...

Immigration NZ changes: what they mean for you

Immigration New Zealand recently announced changes to temporary work visas. Included in the announcement were changes to the visa application process, visa and job categorisation, sector agreements, and family reunification.To help you understand the changes, we’ve put together a list of the common questions we’re asked by farmers and farm workers.We know that policy changes can be unsettling, and The Regions team is here to help you navigate the changes and answer any questions.I’m an emp...

Successful stand against the stand down sees change to temporary work visas

Immigration New Zealand has announced changes to temporary work visas – a direct result of The Regions’ stand against the stand down petition. Stand downs for workers on temporary work visas earning the NZ Median wage ($53,000 per annum) will not be required, under changes announced by Immigration New Zealand, on the back of Industry stakeholders submissions, and The Regions Stand Against the Stand Down petition. Last year, we petitioned nationwide for the proposed stand down of low skilled ...

Community 500 initiative heats up in Southland

Temperatures may be chilly in Southland, but there’s certainly warmth in the community where over 100 farmworkers have been placed in employment by The Regions.It’s hard work on a dairy farm. Just ask Milan Gole, a Nepali farm assistant who began working on a Southland dairy farm almost two months ago. But, with hard work comes enjoyment, and an appreciation for the country he’s beginning to call home.Ask Milan what the highlight of his day is and you get an honest response. “Work is wor...

A sector in limbo: caught in a political waiting game

Like much of the agricultural sector, The Regions has patiently waited for more than half of 2019 to hear from Minister of Immigration, Iain Lees-Galloway, on his reformed immigration settings. The Regions managing director, Ben De’Ath, ponders the plight of policy reform. Last year The Regions submitted a petition to Government containing 7,500 signatures from the dairy sector, strongly advocating for the proposed Stand Down policy to be revoked. If passed, this policy would see low...

Mixing and mingling at Mystery Creek for Fieldays®

A selfie with the PM, insight into non-dairy industries, a chance to mix and mingle with clients – The Regions team enjoyed yet another successful Fieldays®. The Fieldays® is a big event on our calendar here at The Regions, and one we all look forward to for different reasons. As New Zealand’s largest agricultural event, it’s an important place for us to be as a business, but it also provides an opportunity for our team to interact with many of our valued clients....