Immigration 101 for 2025: Tips for Businesses That Employ Migrant Workers

Written by Arunima Dhingra – CEO of Aims Global, Board Director & Past Chairperson of New Zealand Association For Migration And Investment (NZAMI), and Senior Licensed Immigration Adviser #200900407

Welcome to 2025, where hiring and employing migrant workers in New Zealand continues to be both a lifeline and a challenge for businesses navigating skill shortages. If you thought immigration was complex in 2024, buckle up—it’s not getting any simpler this year!

Immigration policies will continue to evolve (because why would INZ ever give us a break?), which means staying ahead isn’t just recommended—it’s essential. From decoding visa requirements to figuring out how to retain your skilled migrant workers, here are my top 5 tips to ensure your business doesn’t just survive, but thrives, in 2025.

1. Ensure Immigration Compliance

Accreditation, job checks, and visa applications are just the beginning. Immigration compliance requires attention to detail at every stage. Financial viability? Check. Meeting accreditation requirements? Check. Ensuring your migrant’s job aligns with their long-term residence pathway? Double-check. The devil, as they say, is in the details and the list is very long.

How to stay compliant:

• Monitor updates: Keep track of New Zealand visa processing times and policy changes for 2025. Or better yet, work with someone who does it for you—because who has time to decipher INZ updates written in bureaucratic jargon?
• Invest in training: Immigration policies are not bedtime reading. Equip your HR team with practical knowledge through workshops and trainings (preferably ones that won’t put them to sleep).

How Aims Global helps:

Through compliance audits, workshops, and webinars, we break down complex immigration policies into plain English (and maybe a joke or two). We’ll help you figure out what applies to your business and make sure you stay on the right side of compliance. Think of us as your immigration GPS: guiding you around every potential roadblock. 

2. Partner with an Immigration Expert

The rapid pace of policy changes makes having expert guidance more important than ever—especially with significant updates expected from January through to mid-2025. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) updates, changes to recently made changes, frequent shifts in visa pathways like the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), and compliance requirements demand clear, accurate advice tailored to your business’ needs.

Why it matters:

Immigration compliance for NZ businesses isn’t just about avoiding penalties. It’s about aligning your workforce planning with evolving policies and ensuring these changes don’t catch your business—or your workers—off guard. After all, there’s a lot at stake for both your business and your workers.

Pro Tip:

Engage a trusted immigration adviser to keep your business compliant while supporting your migrant workforce—someone who’s just a message or call away. Unless, of course, you’d rather spend hours waiting on hold with the INZ contact centre (their advice can often be, let’s say, questionable at best!).

And if you already have an immigration partner, 2025 might be the perfect time to assess whether they’re still the right fit for your business needs.

How Aims Global helps:

Our experts simplify the complexities of hiring migrant workers in New Zealand and are always just a call or email away. Whether it’s policy updates for employers, workers, and their families, or tackling general immigration issues, we resolve problems quickly, correctly, and efficiently—no matter how complex.

If you have not tried working with us, I welcome a test run 😊.

3. Leverage Improved Visa Processing Times

Remember the visa delays of 2024? Fun times. NOT!

Thankfully, INZ has improved processing times for AEWV applications, but there’s a catch: they’ve gotten stricter. Incomplete or inaccurate applications? Declined faster than you can say “rework.”

Maximize the benefit:

• Prepare thoroughly: Complete and accurate documentation is non-negotiable.
• Double-check details: “Good enough” doesn’t cut it here. A missing box tick can mean weeks of delays (or worse).
• Stay informed: INZ loves a good surprise prioritisation shuffle—don’t get caught off guard and ensure you can maximise the benefit of these prioritisation queues.

Pro Tip:

Think of INZ’s shorter processing times like a fast-food drive thru. Quick doesn’t mean error-proof. Submit a messy application, and it’s coming back faster than you can say, “Oops!”

How Aims Global helps:

We handle the nitty-gritty—whether it’s chasing paperwork or untangling a bureaucratic mess. And no, we won’t leave you hanging after submission. From start to finish, we’ve got your back, so you can focus on your workforce while we deal with INZ’s quirks.

4. Support Residence Pathways for Migrant Employees

Temporary visas are great for getting here, but what about staying? Many skilled migrants arrive in New Zealand dreaming of a long-term future. Without clear residence pathways, those dreams—and your retention efforts—can quickly unravel.

How to support your workforce:

• Highlight options: Map out residence pathways during recruitment and onboarding. Nothing says “we value you” like giving someone clarity about their future.
• Offer assistance: Provide resources and visa support. Because no one should have to navigate INZ’s website alone.
• Build community: A little inclusion goes a long way. A shared morning tea or cultural celebration could be the difference between feeling welcomed and feeling isolated, and perhaps use that time to talk about the two points above?

Pro Tip:

Helping your migrant workers doesn’t just make you a good employer—it makes you a smart one. Retention is always cheaper than recruitment.

How Aims Global helps:

We specialize in residence pathways for migrant employees. Whether it’s personalized consultations or project-based services, we’ll help map out residence options so your workers feel empowered and supported—and more likely to stay. 

5. Remember: Immigration Is Not Meant to Be Easy

Let’s be honest: immigration is complicated. It’s not meant to be easy—it’s a legal minefield that takes years of training to master.

If your business handles immigration work in-house without a licensed professional, it might be time to reconsider. Would you trust your financial accounts to someone who’s not an accountant? Or your electrical repairs to someone who’s not an electrician? Immigration is no different.

The stakes are high: your employees’ careers—and lives—depend on the outcome of this work. When done right, it’s life-changing. When done wrong? Well, let’s just say, mistakes are costly.

In Summary: Immigration Isn’t Hard—If You’ve Got the Right Partner

2025 is shaping up to be a wild ride for immigration in New Zealand, but definitely better than what the last few years saw. Policies will change, processes will tighten, and challenges will pop up just when you think you’ve got it all figured out. But with the right guidance, you can turn those challenges into opportunities.

At Aims Global, we’re here to make sure you stay ahead of the game—whether it’s simplifying policies, solving tricky problems, or helping you retain your dream team. Immigration might not be easy, but with us, it’s a whole lot easier.

Now, go forth and conquer 2025 like the business superhero you are. And if you get stuck, you know who to call.