New Zealand offers residency pathway for overseas nurses and doctors.
Doctors, nurses, midwives, and other healthcare professionals are now eligible for immediate residency visas in New Zealand, according to the island nation’s Immigration Minister, Michael Wood. According to Wood, these specialists will be able to enter the country under the new immigration policy beginning December 15th.
When introducing revisions to the country’s immigration programme. The new immigration policies come as New Zealand continues to face a critical shortage of healthcare personnel, particularly nurses.
The number of overseas nurses applying for work visas in the country has decreased by over 60% in the last three months. Recent New Zealand Herald report. In response to the figures, New Zealand’s Opposition Leader, Christopher Luxon, stated that the country does not provide appealing perks to overseas migrant nurses looking for work.
He also stated that abroad nurses prefer other countries to New Zealand. Earlier this year, the New Zealand Nurses Organization (NZNO) warned the government of an approaching nurse shortage in the country, recommending the government hire more than 4,000 nurses quickly to escape an impending crisis.
On Monday, ten new professions were added to the Green List, including occupations in healthcare, education, and construction, to assist grow the country’s workforce. In New Zealand, unemployment is merely 3.3 percent, with only 97,000 individuals now unemployed and looking for work.
