Synopsis
The key change is that individuals holding an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) at ANZSCO skill levels 4 and 5, without a clear pathway to residency, can no longer sponsor their partners and dependent children for work, visitor
On June 26, 2024, New Zealand implemented changes to its visa regulations that will impact certain foreign workers and their families. The new rules aim to streamline the visa application process and align it more closely with the country`s economic and immigration priorities.
The key change is that individuals holding an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) at ANZSCO skill levels 4 and 5, without a clear pathway to residency, can no longer sponsor their partners and dependent children for work, visitor, or student visas in New Zealand. This adjustment brings the AEWV scheme more in line with the previous Essential Skills Work Visa program.

However, it`s important to note that partners and dependent children can still apply for their own visas, such as the Accredited Employer Work Visa or international student visas, as long as they meet the respective criteria. Additionally, the new rules do not impact individuals who already hold visas as partners or dependents, nor do they affect AEWV holders in ANZSCO level 4 and 5 roles with established pathways to residency, including the Green List and sector agreements.
The New Zealand Government has also confirmed that applications currently in progress for partner or dependent child visas will be assessed under the regulations in place at the time of application, ensuring

continuity for affected individuals.
If you had already supported your family`s visa application before June 26th, 2024, you may still be able to sponsor a visa for your partner or dependent child under certain conditions. This includes situations where they already held a visa based on their relationship with you, or if their work, visitor, or student visa application was in progress before the rule change and was approved afterward.


For AEWV holders in ANZSCO skill levels 4 or 5 who earn less than NZD USD 47.41 per hour, you may still be able to sponsor a visa for your partner or dependent children. In order to be able to sponsor a partner of a Worker Work Visa for your partner, you will need to show that you earn at least NZD USD 29.66 per hour, whereas for a child of a Worker Visitor Visa or a Dependent Child Student Visa for your dependent children, you will need to provide a proof of least NZD USD 43,322.76 annually.

If your earnings are below NZD USD 29.66 per hour, you may be able to support a Partner of a Worker Visitor Visa instead. Additionally, you could sponsor a work visa with open conditions if you earn at least NZD USD 59.32 per hour or if your job is listed on the Green List and you meet the role`s specific requirements.

These changes are part of a broader effort by the New Zealand government to streamline the visa application process and ensure that it aligns with the country`s economic and immigration priorities. V.5458

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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