New Zealand skills shortage list changed

New Zealand, 6th January: New Zealand immigration has announced significant changes to its Long Term Skills Shortage List.

Some occupations have been axed while some have been added to the skills shortage list.

This has been done keeping in view the changing requirements of the economy and the workers of New Zealand.

Changed Long Term Skill Shortage List—The new Long Term Skills Shortage List of New Zealand immigration has been announced by the Department of Labor of New Zealand.

Among the lists reviewed by New Zealand immigration include Canterbury Skill Shortage List, Immediate Skill Shortage List and Long Term Skill Shortage List.

<blockquote>The Long Term Skills List(LTSL) now includes agricultural science jobs. Meanwhile, numerous teaching occupations no longer find place in the revised New Zealand immigration’s Long Term Skills List. </blockquote)

New occupations added in LTSL include—
•    Biotechnologist (Genetics Scientist)
•    Environmental Research Scientist(Water Quality Analyst)
•    Social Professional nec(Applied Social Scientist)
•    Life Scientist nec(Animal Scientist or Bioinformatics)
•    Agricultural Scientist(Farm Systems Scientist)

Occupations axed from the revised ISSL(Immediate Skill Shortage List) are—

•    Early Childhood Teacher
•    Primary School Teacher
•    Early Childhood Teacher(Montessori)
•    Secondary School Teacher

New Zealand is experiencing acute shortage of skills in specific categories and such vacancies will need to be filled by inviting immigrant workers, said general manager of the Labor and Immigration Research Center, Vasantha Krishnan.

Immigrants getting jobs in New Zealand in any of the occupations will be provided New Zealand work visas.

By adding new occupations and removing certain occupations from the skills shortage list of New Zealand immigration will help in providing employers of New Zealand with workers having requisite skills needed to fill jobs in New Zealand.

The policy of New Zealand labor and immigration department is to undertaken periodical reviews of its skill shortage lists to make sure these lists are not only flexible but in tune with the changing requirements of the economy of the nation, admitted Krishnan.

Applicants desirous of immigrating to New Zealand under the New Zealand Skilled Migrant Category must gain a minimum of one hundred points. A point worth notable is that nearly 50-60 points are granted for having an offer of job in New Zealand or any existing job requiring management, technical or specialist expertise.