IMMIGRATION

The goal is to bridge the information gap between Immigration New Zealand and operators in the youth and adventure sector to reduce delays in the employment of international staff.

A lack of information can often cause misunderstandings by decision makers at Immigration New Zealand (INZ) in relation to the nature of the tourism businesses that cause ineffective policies. These misunderstandings can range from not understanding the technical requirements for Raft Guides to a hostel being compared to a hotel standard.

BYATA's addresses these issues directly with INZ at regular Tourism Operations Meetings and is strengthening the connection between Immigration and our sector.

Specific outcomes are:

• Comprehensive submission to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding the next round of the China New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.

• Immigration New Zealand seeking member input by way of case studies into how visa processing is working for members.

• Support for the provision of better quality information for working holiday visa applicants

• Regular updates and news related to Working holiday Visa approvals (see our research section)

• Presentation at the BYATA conference by Immigration regarding their activities with the opportunity or members to discuss issues directly.

BYATA seeks the ongoing support from members to participate in any case study requests and forward any issues or concerns regarding immigration so we can continue to improve how our sector and immigration work together.