At a Wānaka Business Chamber event on Tuesday morning, Mr Anderson faced several questions from chamber members on the subject of immigration reform and the challenges of hiring staff in the resort town.
Mr Anderson said he acknowledged there had been "a bit of concern from some sectors" about changes to visa rules for low-skilled roles under the accredited employer work visa (AEWV), which came into effect on April 7.
"I think the provincial areas are going to be more adversely impacted by some of these changes. So a number of the MPs are working on a proposal to take to the minister to see if we can get some of those settings changed."
In a move the government said was intended to limit migration levels, people applying for low-skilled jobs such as kitchen hands, housekeepers and bar staff, must prove they have three years’ relevant experience for their visas to be approved and meet a minimum standard of speaking and understanding English.
Additionally, the maximum continuous stay for most roles has been reduced from five to three years and employers must also engage with Work and Income before approval to bring migrant workers in is granted.
Mr Anderson said he found certain restrictions under the immigration rules, including the distinction between skilled and unskilled roles, to be unfair.
"There’s a bit of academic snobbery that’s been put into some of the settings around what’s skilled and unskilled.
"The best thing for a lot of the employers in this region, this electorate, is the ability for those immigrants to be able to work different roles in the same business rather than having
to be pigeon-holed in one
particular role."
One attendee suggested bringing back the regional skill shortage list, which was replaced by a nationwide "green list" of in-demand occupations in 2021, as a way to address region-specific concerns.
"That’s been discussed — it may be just something as simple as that," Mr Anderson said.
Dissatisfied with the MP’s explanation, another attendee challenged Mr Anderson on the government’s decision to so swiftly introduce rule changes that had immediately come under scrutiny.
"I personally know multiple people who are probably going to have to leave the country. And you’re saying oh, well we need to change them. But you did — to make it more difficult.
"And these people got, I don’t know, a week’s notice. And then they have to wait months to find out if they can stay."
Mr Anderson said he understood the concern and stressed there was "a lot of urgency about getting those immigration settings right".
"The impact on the provincial areas was not understood."
Last week, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said work on a broader AEWV review was under way and that she would be listening to feedback during the process.
