The sudden closure of the Work to Residence pathway for truck and bus drivers could risk slowing the economy, and increasing costs for businesses and families, Transporting New Zealand says.

The Minister of Immigration announced on Sunday that the Work to Residence pathway for bus and truck drivers is closing to new applicants, alongside several other changes to the Accredited Employer Worker Visa (AEWV) scheme.

The Residence Pathway was established under the Transport Sector Agreement, confirmed in April 2023, with applications for residency opening in September 2023. This change will affect bus and truck drivers who apply for an AEWV from 7 April 2024 onwards. 

Transporting New Zealand Interim CEO Dom Kalasih says that while the residency pathway was always intended as a temporary measure, the sudden closure will come as unwelcome news to road freight companies looking to employ skilled migrant drivers as an important supplement to the domestic workforce.

"The residency pathway has allowed members experiencing acute staff shortages to recruit migrant drivers and get parked-up trucks back on the road and operating productively."

"Keeping the pathway open for at least 12 months rather than closing it after only seven months of operation would have allowed the sector a more adequate time period to address long-term skills shortages."

"New Zealand businesses are competing with fierce international competition for migrant drivers from countries including Australia and Canada, who are also suffering from the global truck driver shortage (over 3 million drivers according to the International Transport Union). Offering a pathway to residence after two years of commitment to New Zealand was an important incentive to attracting skilled, experienced operators in a highly competitive international market."