Increased New Zealand visas, Australian visas for Filipino nurses, engineers

New Zealand, 11th May: New Zealand immigration will be offering increased number of New Zealand visas for Filipino nurses, engineers and other skilled workforce following ASEAN-AANZFTA (Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement) enforcement in January 2010.

The arrangement of providing New Zealand visas to Philippine skilled immigrants is the result of negotiations under the AANZFTA program which aims to facilitate increased business and trade cooperation between the member nations.

The agreement will enable New Zealand immigration to allow 100 Filipino nurses to work in New Zealand as registered nurses for a maximum period of three years. This special opportunity for Philippine nurses to live and work in New Zealand will be a once in a life time opportunity, the agreement clarified. 

Nurses hailing from Philippine will be provided New Zealand work visas while doing the bridging exam and courses.

In addition to Filipino nurses, New Zealand immigration will also allow a maximum of 20 Filipino engineering professionals and 20 Filipino farm managers to work in New Zealand for a maximum period of up to three years.

Its being hoped that both Philippines and New Zealand will explore opportunities and negotiate for a reciprocal working holiday program for a maximum of 100 citizens of each nation.

Hence, if the negotiations mature, there will be a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa which will enable Filipino youth a special opportunity to live in New Zealand for a period of up to a maximum of 12 months and take any temporary jobs in New Zealand to pay for their day-to-day as well as 
travel expenses.

Andrew Matheson, New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines, said that the government of New Zealand has also expressed its commitment to work in collaboration with the Philippines to work towards the growth and development of the local dairy industry.

Presently, the dairy industry provides just one percent of the total demand of the country.

Matheson said that the job of trade negotiators is over now and the onus lies on the businesses to use this agreement between the nations and help the advantages of the AANZFTA flow to businesses and consumers alike.