Rural Contractors New Zealand president Steve Levet says there isn't the skilled labour available in New Zealand needed to fill machinery operator roles.

New Zealand companies are seeking government approval to hire more than 1000 overseas workers to fill jobs they say New Zealanders cannot or will not do.

This week it has been revealed that Ritchies bus company is seeking permission to fill 110 bus driver jobs with migrant workers while telecommunications company 2degrees is wanting to hire 40 overseas workers to fill roles in its Auckland call centre.

Companies wanting to place overseas workers into jobs that are not on the Government's skills shortage list are required to go to Immigration New Zealand (INZ) with an Approval in Principle (AIP) request.

Figures released by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment show the requests by Ritchies and 2degrees are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to companies wanting to import labour for jobs that don't feature on the skills shortage list.

READ MORE:

* Government should decline Ritchies' request to hire 110 migrant bus drivers, union says

* 2degrees wants approval to hire up to 40 migrants to fill call centre roles

All up 20 organisations seeking a combined total of 1130 overseas workers have AIP applications either being assessed or awaiting allocation.

Rural Contractors New Zealand's request is the single largest, seeking 325 agricultural machine operators.

Its president Steve Levet said INZ was making life difficult for employers in the industry to hire skilled overseas labour.

"The Government are shagging us around something chronic about this AIP," Levet said.

Seasonal labour was required for up to six months a year, he said.

"The guys we require are highly trained with the machinery that they are using."

Pay rates were about $20 an hour and the machinery being operated could be worth up to half a million dollars, he said.

"The Government seems to think you can just pluck someone off the street to fill these positions."

Employers would prefer to take on local workers but there simply weren't the numbers particularly in small rural communities, he said.

The next largest application with INZ was from Korean fishing company DW New Zealand seeking 226 fishing crew.

Silverstrand NZ wants 152 overseas workers to fill quantity surveyor, civil engineer, carpenter, drainlayer and earth moving operator positions.

Auckland Hotel Fitout company - owned by Chinese construction company Fu Wah - is seeking 174 workers from China to complete the fit-out of its $200 million Park Hyatt hotel on Auckland's waterfront.

Commercial ski resort Porters Ski Area is seeking eight overseas workers and Wanaka mountain guiding company Adventure Consultants wants 11.

DAVID UNWIN/STUFF Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says where genuine skills shortages exist New Zealand businesses will get the workers they need, especially in the regions.

Minister of Immigration Iain Lees-Galloway said skills and training policies the Government was implementing, including three years free post-school education, would help develop a skilled local workforce.



"Our commitment is to put Kiwi workers first, but where genuine skills shortages exist New Zealand businesses will get the workers they need, especially in the regions."



Businesses would need to demonstrate that they had made a genuine attempt to hire New Zealand workers at acceptable market rates, he said.

Ritchies and 2degrees both said they had advertised locally but were unable to find candidates to fill the roles.

The type of work, hours worked and pay were all cited as reasons for the shortage of candidates.

Malcolm Pacific Immigration director David Cooper said the number of AIPs did not surprise him.

"It probably ebbs and flows depending on what's happening in the job market," Cooper said.

"The days of getting hundreds and hundreds of CVs are over."

SUPPLIED Malcolm Pacific Immigration director David Cooper says hiring locally is the preferred option so companies looking overseas are only doing so because they have to.

INZ should be watching closely to ensure there would be no undercutting of wages or terms and conditions of employment to any AIPs it approved, he said.

A request such as 226 fishing crew would need to pass the immigration minister's desk, he said.