Government Tightens Rules for Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa.
The New Zealand government has announced new rules for the Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa (MEPV), originally launched in July 2021. This six-month visa was designed to help migrants escape exploitative situations while staying lawfully in the country.
Currently, the MEPV allows migrants time to find new jobs, with the option to extend the visa if they cannot secure employment within six months. However, starting 31 October, this extension will be removed. Although the six-month duration will remain, the new rules will refine what constitutes exploitation.
Under the updated guidelines, exploitation must be linked to a “genuine employment relationship.” Situations like lawful terminations, redundancies, and unpaid final wages due to liquidation will no longer qualify for the MEPV unless accompanied by other exploitative behaviors or legal violations.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford stated, “The MEPV helps migrants leave exploitative situations quickly while remaining lawfully in New Zealand. However, the current criteria are too broad and can prolong vulnerable situations for migrants.”
Stanford added that a two-week transition period will allow current MEPV holders whose visas expire on or before 30 November to apply for a second MEPV if necessary. She emphasized that introducing an English-language requirement and a skills threshold for accredited employer work visas reflects the government’s commitment to reducing migrant exploitation.
Green Party immigration spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March criticized the government’s decision, stating that removing the additional six-month period places migrants in a difficult position, especially as exploitation cases rise. He argued, “The government is undermining the one visa that supports exploited workers, neglecting some of our most vulnerable individuals.”
Menéndez March concluded that the government is not taking migrant exploitation seriously and has favored exploitative employers, which harms New Zealand’s international reputation.
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