Talent (accredited employer) Work Visa - WTR Holder ---> Terminated from current employer

[NZ_Student]

That is somewhat like what it says here (for if the employer has lost accreditation). https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-should-i-do But for dismissal, rather than redundancy? - it doesn't say so.
There is also this https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-will-happen, which I know you found. (Dismissed employee worker visa).

Thank you JandM!
My follow up question is: if i get terminated, dismissed or has lost my job in the process, does INZ requires me to have the same salary or higher from that of my previous employer??

[NZ_Student]

That is somewhat like what it says here (for if the employer has lost accreditation). https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-should-i-do But for dismissal, rather than redundancy? - it doesn't say so.
There is also this https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-will-happen, which I know you found. (Dismissed employee worker visa).

Hi, I just called INZ today for same questions as you had.

The reply is:
The new employer has time be accredited employer as well if want to change a job.
But if you have been made redundant, then new employer can be anyone, just need to meet the salary requirement and the new contract needs to be permanent or at lease 24months.

Either way, you need to apply for the VOC. And if you need the interim visa for some case, you only can work for the current employer in the interim period.

Now is a hard time, good luck!

Hi Vercen!
For the salary requirement, does it have to be equal or higher than from the previous employer? Or does it have to satisfy the minimum salary threshold set by INZ for WTR (talent accre) visa?

[verncen]

That is somewhat like what it says here (for if the employer has lost accreditation). https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-should-i-do But for dismissal, rather than redundancy? - it doesn't say so.
There is also this https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-will-happen, which I know you found. (Dismissed employee worker visa).

Thanks for the shared links. I believe "redundancy during Covid-19" falls into "ended unexpectedly"?
When I called INZ, asking about changing jobs. He said clearly "if you have been made redundant, can change to any other employees", right after my question, I didn't expect he will say this because I didn't mentioned anything about redundancy. I think lots of WTRs are facing this issue now, INZ probably has been asked for tons of times by others.

[verncen]

Hi Vercen!
For the salary requirement, does it have to be equal or higher than from the previous employer? Or does it have to satisfy the minimum salary threshold set by INZ for WTR (talent accre) visa?

Salary requirement doesn't change, same as your current one. And any position counts, doesn't have to be the same role as you are doing now.

[verncen]

Thanks vercen! Very informative! My follow up question is, will the 24-month residency requirement prior to lodging for a resident visa continues if I change my employer?

You will still be eligible for the residency and continues of the 24 months from your first day of having WTR work visa.
You can change jobs anytime to a accredited employer, with applying a VOC to change to your new employer.
OR
Any employer if you've been made redundant.

[NZ_Student]

That is somewhat like what it says here (for if the employer has lost accreditation). https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-should-i-do But for dismissal, rather than redundancy? - it doesn't say so.
There is also this https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-will-happen, which I know you found. (Dismissed employee worker visa).

Hi JandM,
Should I decide to quit my job because of my relationship to my current employer, could I still possibly stay and look for another employer? Am I allowed to stay in NZ? For how long can I stay? Or would I be entitled to look for another job and apply for VOC if I can find a prospective employer?

My wtr visa expires on November 2022, and only allows me to work for my current employer. Should they decide to terminate me, can I lose entitlement to be able to work in other employer? Will I be forced to leave NZ? Really need some advice here please.

Thank you so much.

[JandM]

You have to be covered by a valid visa at all times to be legal in NZ. Since your present visa is linked to your current employment, if you ended that employment, you would have made yourself illegal, and would be obliged to leave as soon as you could get a flight. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...r-visa-expires As you will see at that link, if you were to get another job offer while illegal and before you had left the country, there is an outside chance that you MIGHT get another visa under Section 61, but an application in those circumstances is not on the usual terms and there is no obligation on the Minister to grant it, so it's really something to be avoided.

Or would I be entitled to look for another job and apply for VOC if I can find a prospective employer?

Yes.

As this link https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...at-will-happen, given before, says, there's a chance of being allowed a Dismissed Worker visa if the termination happened within a trial period. If that doesn't apply, there have been times in the past when INZ has held off from cancelling the visa if the person had another job offer lined up that they could get a VOC or another visa for, but that isn't automatic, and quite honestly, I think it's less likely to happen these days, with the politicians' strong push to give jobs to NZers now the job market has shrunk so much due to Covid-19.

Look at my posts #4 and #5 above. You are in a much more secure position visa-wise if you stay in your present employment. If you can possibly sort out your work situation, perhaps by getting some advice or mentoring so as to be able to fulfil your employers' expectations, that is your best bet for securing your future in NZ. Otherwise, if you could get the offer of a comparable job with another employer, you could liaise with INZ to get a VOC or another visa (depending on the details), but it would be important that one visa should neatly take over from the other at the time you changed to the new job, and INZ would help with that. You can't work for a new employer while your visa names the original one, or continue with the old employer when once you have a visa that names the new one.