New Zealand Immigration removes hospitality sector jobs from skills shortage list

The New Zealand government is removing key jobs in the hospitality industry for its immigration skills shortage list as it believes local Kiwis can fill the vacant positions.

The move to nationalise all jobs in the hospitality industry is expected to hit the restaurant sector the hardest, according to its representatives, who claim there’s already a shortage of skilled staff. The sector is claiming that New Zealanders are unable for the most part to take on skilled jobs such as chefs or managers and is warning that prices will rise and businesses will be forced to close for lack of staff.

Immigration officials are already refusing to renew work visas for chefs and other restaurant staff from overseas, insisting that the positions can be taken by local unemployed workers. According to one restaurant owner forced to list a vacancy locally, the position requires three years’ training and, of 21 applicants, only one was a New Zealand national.

Another restaurant chain in Auckland with expansion plans interviewed 100 local applicants, but was able to employ only one, who left his job after two months. The group is now having to put its expansion plans on hold.

Café and hospitality manager jobs are to be removed from the list, with experienced chefs the next in line, and an increasing number of foreign worker visas are already being refused. Speaking for the Restaurant Association, Marisa Bidois stated that a member survey indicated that 90 per cent of owners think the present shortage of skilled workers is unacceptable.