'Medical Staff Shortage' in New Zealand, Expansion of Fast-Track Permanent Residency for Overseas Nurses

10 Occupations Including Nurses and Midwives Added to Immigration Green List
Bus and Truck Drivers Granted Residency for 2 Years

The view of Auckland International Airport in New Zealand [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Junran] New Zealand, which has experienced a severe shortage of medical personnel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has decided to issue work visas that allow overseas nurses and midwives to apply for permanent residency immediately.

According to New Zealand media Stuff on the 12th (local time), the New Zealand government will revise its immigration system starting from the 15th and include 10 occupations, including nurses and midwives, in the "Immigration Green List."

The Immigration Green List is New Zealand government's fast-track immigration system for permanent residency aimed at securing scarce skilled workers. Foreigners working in occupations included on this list can work immediately upon moving to New Zealand and can apply for permanent residency right away. Not only the individual but also their spouse or partner is granted the right to live and work together.

Earlier, New Zealand announced the Immigration Green List system in May. At that time, 89 occupations including doctors, veterinarians, engineers, and information and communication technology (ICT) fields were included. Nurses and midwives were not included.

In response, within New Zealand, there were criticisms that excluding nurses and midwives?occupations with a relatively high proportion of female workers?from the list despite the shortage of nurses was a form of gender discrimination. The New Zealand Nurses Organisation estimated that about 4,000 more nurses are needed in New Zealand.

On this day, after a cabinet meeting, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the inclusion of nurses and midwives in the Green List, stating, "We want to tell nurses all over the world that New Zealand is the best place to live, work, and enjoy life."

Along with this, the New Zealand government decided to grant foreigners who work as bus and truck drivers in New Zealand the right to reside for two years to address the shortage of bus and truck drivers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.