What is the change?
Immigration New Zealand has made special changes to the immigration instructions to relax visa conditions for two groups of current supermarket employees for a period of 30 days finishing on 25th April 2020. These groups and the changes are:
- Work visa holders – can work in any position irrespective of the position mentioned on their work visa.
- Student visa holders – can work more than 20 hours
Changes apply to work visa holders and students working for selected supermarkets only
These changes apply to you if you are working for a ‘supermarket’ retailer selling food affiliated with one of the following:
- Woolworths New Zealand Limited
- Foodstuffs North Island Limited
- Foodstuffs South Island Limited
Why only these supermarkets?
These changes have been made in response to the requests made by these supermarkets to meet the increased demand for shelf re-stocking, immediate labour supply issues.
Woolworth stores in New Zealand
Foodstuffs stores in New Zealand
What do I need to do if I work at one of these supermarkets?
You don’t have to take any action. You can simply work in any role for any number of hours if you work in one of the eligible stores. If in doubt, please consult with employer and clarify if their store is affiliated with one of the eligible brands.
My store is not in this list but my employer wants me to work in a different role?
If your store is not affiiliated with one of the above mentioned companies, then these changes do not apply to you. If your employer is asking you to work in a different role or outside of your visa conditions, you may be considered in breach of your visa conditions. Immigration New Zealand has relaxed these conditions only for those visa holders who are working in a retail store affiliated with one of these companies:
Remember, together, we can win against Covid-19.
In your service,
Carmento Team