The Road Transport Forum is expecting to have some direct contact with the Minister of Immigration, Hon Kris Faafoi, early next week.
In preparation for that meeting, we would like to indicate to the Minister the kinds of issues that road transport operators have retaining valued migrant staff members, both with the need to secure their tenure to meet driver shortages, but also the more pressing issues of visa renewals for drivers and other staff members. We have heard of operators who are facing serious delays in having such visas extended, as well as what would have been routine residency applications put on hold, and we would like to take some further examples to the Minister of this and any other immigration related issues.
If there are concerns or pressing issues for any operators, could you please forward those to your association so they can collate those and send them onto the RTF.
We will not be divulging any specific cases to the Minister, rather talking about concerning trends, and we are keen to ask him how the Government intends to give people a path to residency, given that it appears those cases have been stalled.
Below, for your interest, please find information collected last year from operators on this subject, via a survey conducted by the Road Transport Forum
SURVEY RESULTS ON DRIVER SHORTAGE – ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY 2020
17.52% of operators surveyed had employed a driver on a migrant visa.
82.48% had not employed a driver on a migrant visa.
Of the operators who had employed a driver on a migrant visa, 74% would do so again, 26% would not.
55% of operators who had not previously employed a driver on a migrant visa, would be open to doing so – 45% would not.
