MEPVs are issued by Immigration NZ if Employment New Zealand (ENZ) believes there is a "credible complaint" of exploitation.
Immigration NZ operations director Dominic Forde says there were 16 holders of that visa here as of August 21.
Since it came into effect in 2022, 33 have been granted in the Queenstown-Lakes, with 18 of those to migrants in hospitality.
"If a worker is being exploited, they may be able to access a six-month MEPV that allows them to leave their current employer and work for a different employer and remain lawfully in the country," Forde says.
Prior to the visa being granted, ENZ looks at whether the employer has harmed the "economic, social, physical or emotional wellbeing" of a migrant worker. This includes breaches of minimum employment standards and health and safety and immigration laws.
It excludes "minor and insignificant" breaches that are not constant and easily remedied.
Forde says to obtain and retain accreditation, employers must comply with immigration and employment law. "Employers who do not comply risk losing their accreditation or having their application to renew their accreditation declined."
Citizens Advice Bureau relief manager David Dewhurst describes the MEPVs as a "godsend" and "the only option for migrants to get out of an exploitative situation".
But, he says, it’s important they’re granted a second MEPV because "hardly any" manage to get an AEWV within the first six-month visa.
Since June 2023, the bureau has supported 26 migrants, some of whom have faced "extremely distressing situations". They were mainly working for cleaning companies or in hospitality.
Dewhurst says migrants working as cleaners is an area of concern. "As migrants leave NZ at the end of their visas, we have had multiple clients come to us from cleaning companies seeking advice on the calculation of final pay.
"We are finding multiple breaches of employment law."
During a recent joint operation between Ministry of Business, Immigration and Employment and Immigration NZ’s Investigations, Complaints, and Risk Verification teams visited 11 Queenstown businesses and served two AEWV-holders with deportation liability notices, issued three infringement notices to local businesses, and cancelled three visas held by people no longer in NZ.
