Migrant advocates welcome NZ First plan to end single-employer visas

The Migrant Workers Association says New Zealand First has adopted its policy for ending single-employer ties for migrant workers.

The association has welcomed the party's proposal to replace the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Under the proposal, migrants would not be tied to a specific employer, RNZ reported.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters wants work visas to be tied to a migrant's occupation and region instead of a specific business. The association described the change as a good first step because it would allow workers to more easily leave exploitative jobs.

Association president Anu Kaloti said the group had called in previous public consultations for ending the practice of tying migrant workers to single employers. She said that arrangement is where most of the exploitation happens.

New Zealand First is promising to scrap the Accredited Employer Work Visa and replace it with a "shortage-led" Skilled Work Visa if re-elected, RNZ reported. The policy described in RNZ's reporting also called for an end to work visas for most retail jobs and for overseas staff to fill only identifiable shortages.

The party says its plan to replace the accredited visa model is intended to protect migrant workers from exploitation, according to New Zealand First. It announced campaign policies proposing sweeping changes to immigration laws last month, according to New Zealand First.

The proposal follows earlier disagreement within the coalition over immigration settings. Last year the party invoked the 'agree to disagree' coalition provision over skilled migrant visa changes. It has also supported extending current work visas by three years for people already in New Zealand to meet short-term demand.

Kaloti said the latest policy was possibly better than the current situation but would not reverse some voters' unhappiness with Peters' other views.