Doctors, nurses, midwives, and other healthcare specialists are now eligible to get immediate residency in New Zealand, the island nation’s Immigration Minister, Michael Wood, has announced.
While announcing changes to the country’s immigration program, Wood said that these specialists will be able to enter the country under the new immigration policy from 15 December.
The new immigration rules come at a time when New Zealand continues to grapple with an acute shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses.
A recent report by New Zealand Herald revealed that the number of overseas nurses applying for work visas in the country has dropped by nearly 60% during the last three months.
Commenting on the numbers, Christopher Luxon, New Zealand’s Opposition Leader, said that New Zealand doesn’t offer enticing benefits to international migrant nurses to come to the country for work. He added that overseas nurses are preferring other countries over New Zealand.
Earlier this year, New Zealand Nurses Organization (NZNO) had warned the government of the impending nurse shortage in the country, advising the government to immediately hire more than 4,000 nurses to avert the inevitable crisis.
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