Immigration Changes: What Employers Need to Know

Recent immigration changes to skilled residency pathways, the launch of new seasonal visas and successful uptake of investment visas will make New Zealand a more attractive place to work and invest.

Join Rachel Simpson, Business NZ and representatives from Immigration New Zealand for a concise, practical webinar explaining what’s changed, what new visa settings are coming into effect in 2026 and what employers need to know to navigate the immigration process.

What we’ll cover

• Settings for the skilled migrant category and pathways to residency for trade and technician employees
• Introduction of seasonal and surge visas to meet short-term labour demand
• Update on the Active Investor Visa programme and Business Visa programmes.
• Employer resources to help navigate Immigration New Zealand.

This session is designed for business owners, people leaders and managers who want clarity, confidence and practical guidance.

About the speaker:

Rachel Simpson
Director – Skills, Education and Immigration, Business NZ

Rachel Simpson is a senior policy and strategy leader at BusinessNZ, where she leads advocacy across immigration, education and workforce policy. With more than 15 years’ experience advising Ministers, chief executives and industry leaders, Rachel works at the intersection of business growth, labour market demand and public policy settings.

She brings a practical, system-level perspective to immigration reform — focusing on how visa settings, employer accreditation, skills pathways and workforce development frameworks can better support economic growth while maintaining integrity and public confidence in the system.

**This event will take place online via Zoom and you will be sent your Zoom link the day before the event**