7. Question No. 7—ImmigrationMARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of ImmigrationQuestion No. 7—Immigration7. MARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcements has he made regarding visa settings for partners of migrant workers?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Immigration): Recently I made two important announcements for migrant workers and their families. Firstly following on from signalled changes to work rights for partners last year I announced how these changes will be implemented in practice. From 31 May this year partners of most temporary migrant workers who wish to work in New Zealand will be required to apply for a partner of a worker visa. These changes will apply to most partners of essential skills and accredited employer work visa holders. I also announced an expansion to eligibility for the victims of family violence visa which enables migrants who are victims of family violence to obtain a six-month open work visa independent of their partner. This will now include partners of temporary migrants whereas it currently only applies to partners of New Zealand residents.Marja Lubeck: What conditions will apply to the partner of a worker visa?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Partners of migrant workers will be able to work for any accredited employer generally as long as they are paid at or above the median wage. They will not need to have a job or a job offer to apply for the visa and they will not need to engage with Immigration New Zealand if they change jobs. Partners will also be able to apply for a work visa from offshore. This is a significant simplification from previous proposals which would have previously required a full accredited employer work visa while keeping protections in place to guard against the proliferation of exploitation and low pay which were the hallmarks of a previous Government's immigration policy.Marja Lubeck: Why did the Government take time to ensure a more streamlined approach for partners to obtain a work visa?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: As I said in December we wanted to consult widely on proposed changes to partner work rights and have responded to feedback from stakeholders. This was to ensure that we facilitate access to labour in a tight market while continuing to move away from the previous approach which put many of these migrant workers into very low-wage positions in which they were vulnerable towards exploitation. It's a part of our broader shift towards a high-wage high-skill economy which views migrants as more than just labour units. The approach I outlined last week still requires partners to acquire work rights in their own right while ensuring the process for doing so is simple provides certainty for migrant families and provides protections for vulnerable individuals.Marja Lubeck: Why is expanding access to the victims of family violence visa important?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: While immigration settings do not cause family violence it is incredibly important that they do not pose a barrier to those who need to escape abuse. The expansion of access to the victims of family violence visa works in tandem with the work the Government is undertaking to implement Te Aorerekura the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. This is just the start and further work is planned to ensure that we provide the right support for migrant victims of family violence.