Mental Well-Being of Indian Immigrants with Temporary Visas Working in Retail Industries during and after COVID-19 in Auckland, New Zealand: Analysis Based on WHO-5 Test

Abstract

This research examines the mental well-being of Indian immigrants with temporary visas working in retail industries in Auckland, New Zealand, during and after COVID-19. The research focused on immigrants on work visas for full-time employment and immigrants on work visas for full-time employment who were laid off and returned to study on student visas to upgrade their skills and align with the new prerequisites of the New Zealand job market. A mixed-method research approach was employed, utilising the World Health Organization Well-Being Index 5 (WHO-5) to assess the mental well-being of Indian immigrants with temporary visas during and after COVID-19. The research showed that 48.57% of participants with work visas experienced low mental well-being due to COVID-19, whereas 80% of participants with student visas experienced low mental well-being due to COVID-19. Besides, this research revealed that changes to immigration rules, job uncertainty, and being unable to visit family members because of strict border constraints were the primary causes of low mental well-being during and after COVID-19 among participants. A significant number of participants with student visas experienced lower mental well-being during and after COVID-19 than participants with work visas.