On your behalf

The Government’s recent changes to the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) scheme and Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) settings will enable employers to access the workers they need, when they need them to fulfil peak seasonal tasks. The Special Purpose Work Visa (SPWV) for seasonal workers announced by the Government in August will provide confidence and certainty for wineries to access the experienced seasonal international workers they need for the 2025 grape and wine harvest.

Each year wineries need to lift the capacity of their workforce for a short period of time during harvest. The first priority is to employ New Zealanders but there is always a gap, and this is filled by recruiting experienced international workers. Without these international staff the industry would not be able to manage the intake of all the grapes from more than 42,000 hectares of vineyards across New Zealand.

The previous AEWV settings did not deliver for the wine industry for these peak seasonal wine roles. New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) heard from wineries that the English language requirements and three years’ experience would restrict the ability to hire vintage workers. NZW took these concerns directly to the Minister of Immigration. In a constructive meeting Erica Stanford explained that the AEWV settings were updated to manage an influx of low skilled workers and the intention was not to stifle the ability to recruit seasonal workers.

The creation of the SPWV pathway recognises the importance of international workers filling short-term peak seasonal roles that are not intended to be permanent. The SPWV is time limited, as applications must be received by 31 March 2025 and the role is to commence on or before 31 May 2025 and not exceed nine months duration. This pathway will allow industry to meet the upcoming seasonal needs while broader changes to the AEWV settings are considered.

NZW supports the AEWV settings being recalibrated to balance the integrity of the immigration system, the opportunity of New Zealanders to gain work, and to enable employers to source the workers they need, when they need them. As a key stakeholder we will be participating in a targeted consultation on the settings and will ensure that the pathway for experienced international workers remains viable.

Waipara Hills

Welcome changes to RSE scheme

NZW also welcomed the Government’s commitment to increase the RSE scheme numbers to 20,750 and sensible improvements to the scheme. The RSE scheme has been vital to the growth of the wine industry. The boost to RSE worker numbers will enable the industry to plan with certainty for future growth. The wine industry strongly supports employing New Zealanders. RSE workers focus on the seasonal peaks, supporting our permanent workforce. These improvements strike a careful balance between making sure Pacific workers have well paid work and employers can access the workers they need, when they need them.

Workers come to New Zealand with limited time to maximise their earning capability, and the changes allowing regional and employer movement add flexibility to help them achieve this. The ability to access skills training will result in workers returning home with more than financial benefits, and pay rates can now reflect experience. Multiple entry visas make sense, especially if workers have to return home for family reasons.

The return to the scheme’s pre-Covid-19 settings, by removing the accommodation cost restrictions and restoring the minimum hours entitlement calculation to a monthly average, are sensible adjustments. The addition of Timor-Leste future-proofs the scheme’s central role in Pacific relationships.

Looking ahead, the industry is confident that these changes will benefit both industry and the Pacific workers who play such an important role in New Zealand’s vineyards. NZW looks forward to engaging on the next phase of the RSE policy review, expected to begin later this year.

Nicola Crennan is NZW External Relations Manager