The importance of 3 years..

With the introduction of maximum continuous stays after the borders reopened, staff retention became a major concern for businesses. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) set a three-year maximum stay for migrants in ANZSCO skill level 4 & 5 roles, and a five-year limit for those in skill level 1–3 roles. This has created a real sense of urgency for workers to become eligible for residency before hitting that five-year mark in New Zealand.

What Immigration didn’t seem to factor in when making this rule was the sheer amount of time, money, and energy local businesses invest into their staff—only to be forced to let go of good, hard-working people simply because there’s no visa pathway left open to them. For many businesses in industries like trades and manufacturing, 2025 will mark three years, meaning they’ll soon be facing the reality of having to replace an entire workforce.

There’s often a belief at the government level that, if the unemployment rate is high, local workers can fill these gaps. But what they fail to consider is that many of these roles are based in regional areas, or in sectors like agriculture where the work is physically demanding—roles where employers struggle to find Kiwis willing to stay long-term.

In the next few years, we’re going to see the true impact of these policies: businesses hurting, and migrant workers who didn’t realise early enough that they weren’t on a pathway to residency. It’s going to result in a loss of skilled, reliable workers that New Zealand desperately needs.

As we hit the three-year mark, it’s clear—businesses and migrant workers need to plan ahead. This isn’t just about policy, it’s about people. If we want to keep the skilled workers who keep our industries running, we need to start thinking long-term—now.