Recently unions have been griping about ex-expatriate workers being brought in to complete transmission gully. They really ought to be more in tune with the labour market.

Employers need to satisfy strict requirements to bring in workers from overseas. When supporting work visa applications, employers have to show Immigration New Zealand that they have made a “genuine attempt” to recruit locally. And the folks at Immigration New Zealand are no pushovers. They frequently challenge applications based on the nature of advertising, the recruitment processes, and the extent of the advertising. They also ask about the employer’s training programmes to reduce reliance on overseas workers. They ask why an existing staff member cannot be trained into the role.

Continue reading It’s a skill shortage, dummy, not a labour shortage… →