Michael Wood, the immigration minister, announced that the date for changes to spouse work visas that were originally scheduled to take effect in December 2022 has been postponed to April 2023.

NZ Government wants to increase the certainty for migrant partners that they can work in high-skilled professions in New Zealand, and the government wants to speed this process.  We will be considering certain revisions to the planned Rebalance partner work rights reforms' implementation to take into account some of the concerns from stakeholders, particularly regarding the protections for the vulnerable individuals.     

Partners of work visa holders will still be able to work legally in New Zealand throughout this time. Any such modifications only will be applicable to new visas issued after the implementation date. Our Government's immigration rebalancing programme was created expressly to meet the current skill shortages in New Zealand, reducing business application processes and streamlining company settings while ensuring that everyone's salaries and working conditions are improved.